Rebuilding the Ruins: The Broad Wall or Refiner’s Fire
In Weeping for the Broken 4.3, we begin rebuilding the New Gate. It’s the process of beginning to practice our belief and stepping, or growing, into the newness of life. You know how the “old things have passed away and all things become new.” Another way of saying this is that the old self is put away and we become a new person. We begin rebuilding ourselves with the help and guidance of God’s word. It is the very beginning process of being rooted and grounded in the Lord. Now, in these next few verses, we are going to look a little deeper into the refining of our characters as we witness the rebuilding of the Broad Wall.
The Broad Wall: A Little Bit of History
In Nehemiah 3:8, we see that there is this broad wall in the process of being rebuilt. What is this Broad Wall that seems to be getting so much attention? The Broad Wall is a wall unlike the other walls surrounding Jerusalem. This wall is a very thick wall, about seven and a half yards thick. The other walls were not thick like this one. This wall was built during the war between Hezekiah and Senacharib in the late 8th Century B. C., and in saying that, there were houses that were torn down in order to build this wall up. (Isaiah 22:9, 10) Another thing that happened when this wall was originally built was that it shut off part of Jerusalem. Only the part of Jerusalem behind this wall was protected at the time it was originally built.
The Refiner’s Fire in Our Homes
Did you notice that homes were torn apart to rebuild the Broad Wall? It’s now time in our journey when we start sharing our faith with our family. Our family members are the ones who are closest to us and have known us all of our lives. They have been watching us as we have been going through the process of repentance and salvation in our lives. They have observed us witnessing to others in the community about this deeper faith of ours. They have lots of questions and some of those questions are not very nicely addressed. They don’t understand the changes in us. As we seek to respond in a fair way, we begin experiencing trials.
My Refiner’s Fire at Home
I remember when I began experiencing this refiner’s fire for the first time in my home. I was about twelve years old at the time. I had a foul mouth and I talked like everyone around me. I began experiencing these convicting feelings within myself. At that moment, when these feelings began, I decided that I wanted to quit cussing and talking like my peers. So I did just that. It was hard enough to change my language, but it was even harder when my family members questioned my identity as a result of it. I was labeled, “Miss Goody Two-Shoes,” and I was teased about being high and mighty. It was a struggle to continue with that good thing that God was working out in me. I continued to follow through with what I was feeling convicted to do. I learned that I could be okay talking clean around my peers and that they would just get used to the new me in time. It was just one small part of the refining of my character.
My Refiner’s Fire in the Local Community
Another time when I experienced this Refiner’s Fire was when I was attending a local community college and I had this great desire to grow spiritually. I decided that in my English classes, I would choose to write about things that would increase my spiritual growth. The one subject that my teacher and I agreed upon was the subject of The Holy Grail. I did all the research and learned about what people classify as the Holy Grail. I even learned about leaders in history who sought it out because they thought that Christ would impart special fountain-of-youth kind of powers into it. I got to the last paper that I was to write and I suddenly didn’t know what the truth was even though I knew what it was just a few days ago. I prayed and cried for two days asking God to reveal the truth to me. It was just a few hours before my paper was due and as I prayed again, reminding God that my paper was due, He showed me the truth so fast that I grabbed my computer and wrote it all down and completed my paper just in time. The truth that I learned was that The Holy Grail is a waste of time and effort. The true Holy Grail, if there is such a thing, is faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith does not belong to any object or any other person.
Purpose of the Refiner’s Fire
Every Refiner’s Fire trial that I have ever been through was meant to establish a righteous character and a righteous way of thinking. They were trials meant for my learning and overcoming. Most of all, Refiner’s Fire Trials are meant to increase and establish our faith in Christ. God is silent at times during trials and He works miracles at other times. Sometimes I have had a bitter heart toward the trials and have had to seek help to get to the place where I can walk forward in peace. Other times, I have experienced peace and joy during trials.
What About You?
Have you ever had those Refiner’s Fire moments when you realized that you had to learn something and grow in the face of adversity? Has it left you with healing and peace? Or has it left you with a bitter heart that you can’t seem to move forward from?
Tell me about your Refiner’s Fire Trial by writing to me at [email protected].
