{"id":9487,"date":"2024-01-04T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/?p=9487"},"modified":"2024-01-01T10:54:34","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T15:54:34","slug":"9487","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/2024\/01\/04\/9487\/","title":{"rendered":"Sort and Separate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Five-minute read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You discern my going out and my lying down;<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 139:3a<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Sorted and separated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zarah, the Hebrew verb for discern, translates as \u201csearch out\u201d or \u201cscrutinize.\u201d [i]<\/a> Describing a farmer winnowing his crops, separating the wheat from the chaff, the Psalmist uses it to depict God\u2019s examination of our ways; He never misses a thing. No chaff remains after the Lord sorts and sifts us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.\u201d 1 Cor. 10:13<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In life, we can fall into the temptation of believing God doesn\u2019t know our sufferings. But the Lord knows every hurt we experience, every pain we feel. During good times, we often forget our Creator, not needing His assistance nor seeking His presence. But when a crisis occurs, we call out to the Creator, desperate for His help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. <\/em>C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming aware of God\u2019s constant presence in our lives requires discipline. Job suffered unimaginable heartache, losing his family, livelihood, and health, yet never lost faith in the Lord.  God\u2019s servant\u2019s faith developed over a lifetime of trusting and following God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut he knows the way that I take;<\/em> <\/em>when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.\u201d Job 23:10<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials refine us like precious metals; the heat removes the impurities and leaves only the gold behind. All suffering on earth will end; this life a temporary one. But the purification process prepares us for our eternal home, sorting out the chaff and transforming us into the image of Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through Jesus, we can endure. Putting into practice the teachings of Christ will guide us through the trials and tribulations of life. God\u2019s Son kept an open line of communication with His heavenly Father.   Jesus didn\u2019t seek His will but God\u2019s. And when Christ returned to His rightful place beside the Creator, He left us the  Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cling to God, knowing He has a plan for your life, one only you can fulfill. Allow the Lord to sort and separate you, knowing your pain will refine you like gold and prepare you for your eternal home. When the Holy Spirit nudges you from within your heart, acknowledge and follow Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord wants you to live life in abundance. He pulls us from our sins and gives us new life. We can endure all things through Christ, who strengthens us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God refines us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my nephew died, I experienced pain like never before. As the years marched onward, I wrestled with God\u2019s decision to call Cody home instead of healing him on earth. People asked me difficult questions: \u201cWhy didn\u2019t God answer your prayers?\u201d \u201cWhy did God take Cody?\u201d As I searched for answers from above, I found comfort from the Great Comforter. And I accepted some answers I won\u2019t know until I reach heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I trusted God\u2019s faithfulness in my pain. And I learned that He never leaves me nor forsakes me. Working through the loss introduced me to a grace I\u2019d never known before and refined me. Instead of becoming bitters, I allowed God to make me better as He sorted and separated me from my fleshly desires and His Godly purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the heat of the battle, God removes the chaff and separates us from our sins, refining the gold within us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journaling Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. How do you feel God\u2019s presence in your life?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Where do you feel God\u2019s absence?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what ways has God refined you through the struggles you\u2019ve endured?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Prayer:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lord, forgive me for doubting Your process. As I face the challenges to come, let me do so confident of Your presence amid the fire. Sort and separate me from my sin, help me become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit\u2019s prompting, transforming me. Help me become more like Jesus as I faithfully pursue You.  IJNIP. Amen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    [i]<\/a> https:\/\/www.bibleref.com\/Psalms\/139\/Psalm-139-3.html#:~:text=God%20knows%20our%20ways%2C%20our,doesn’t%20miss%20a%20thing.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Five-minute read. You discern my going out and my lying down; Psalm 139:3a Sorted and separated. Zarah, the Hebrew verb for discern, translates as \u201csearch out\u201d or \u201cscrutinize.\u201d [i] Describing a farmer winnowing his crops, separating the wheat from the chaff, the Psalmist uses it to depict God\u2019s examination of our ways; He never misses a… Continue reading Sort and Separate<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","without-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9487"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9492,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9487\/revisions\/9492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}