June 10

his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. — 1 Cor 3:13 BSB

The fire that will test every man’s work is not only God’s wrath on the last day but also the fiery trials we experience in this life. God mercifully brings these trials upon His people to burn away the wood, hay, and stubble they’ve accumulated. It is a great mercy to have this combustible material burned away before we reach our deathbed. The fiery trials, such as afflictions, temptations, painful soul exercises, and distressing feelings, burn up the wood, hay, and stubble that some of His saints may have built on their foundation. Guilt pressing upon the conscience, the terrors of God’s law, the arrows of the Almighty, fears of death, hell, and judgment—these are all part of the fiery trials that destroy the worthless refuge we’ve built. All this wood, hay, and stubble sink into ashes before this refining fire.

What then withstands the fiery trial? Only the work of God in the soul. The faith that He implants, though it may be weak and must be tested, endures. It may seem at times like it barely exists, but because it is of God, it survives every storm and trial. A good hope, given and maintained by God, will hold like a well-tested anchor. Like gold or silver, it can withstand the hottest furnace, losing only its impurities while retaining its true essence. The “precious stones” of heavenly visits, sweet revelations, blessed promises, and the comforting discoveries of Christ’s love will never be lost or consumed. Though they may be sharply tested, being gifts from God, they are indestructible. They can never be burnt up, but rather are refined and proven all the more as genuine treasure.