It could be said that allot of the Lords work regarding His people is to refine them, make them pure, holy, sanctified...
Several of the acts we undergo as we follow commands and receive blessings can easily be seen as a refining process, which is defined as a reduction of impurities or base elements to make a pure and more valuable and useful substance (among other similar definitions).
From water baptism where we so often begin, which itself is a form of refining/reducing or washing away of our past impurities to spirit baptism whereby we are gifted and thereby further refined by the spirit of the Lord. To the drawing of man into the deep things of the Lord by His spirit where we must traverse deserts just as valleys and of course mountain tops in response to His voice. Often we do not understand the big picture of where we are going (like Abraham) but that's why it's called a walk of faith. We hear our shepards voice and we follow. His love for us gets to a place in us where nothing else dares to go and it begins its work of cleansing us from the inside out as we follow His commands. Many times in this process of refinement we may lose sight or even hope but He never does. He saw the potential for purity and called us pure tho we had not yet become completely so. Which is why sanctification is both present and progressive in that He speaks things that aren't as tho they were in hopes of fulfilling the purpose of His coming in us. Sometimes when we lose sight we may feel like we're gonna give up and yet He calls us onward,.. other times we may get distracted by the cares and concerns of this present world yet He comes to find us, forsaking the 99 to save the 1 when needed.
The process by which the Lord refines His people is one of great pain and hardship with many trials, tho it is also at times of great joy and repose with many giftings. These are experienced by both the refiner and those being refined. Just as Jesus experienced many hardships and afflictions to sanctify us, so too will we as we become sanctified as we follow Him. Likewise just as Jesus experienced great joy in pleasing His Father, so too will we as we are led by His spirit. He is not seperate from His refining work and uses holy fire and living water to bring us to a place/state worthy of His name, yet He calls us His own from our first moments with Him.
He carefully engineers circumstances in each of our lives to bring about His will, to purify us of all unbelief. Wether thru the placing of obstacles and closed doors to bridges and opened doors, He carefully attends to each of us as tho we were each His only child, providing exactly what each of us needs. Sometimes so close, so intimate that all we can do is sit at His feet and bask in the radiance of His glory, while other times He hides Himself and all we can do is grope in the dark for Him. But in each case wether it's a fresh revelation or dry season it's exactly what we need to bring us closer to what He wants us to be.
Holiness is (to me) the most beautiful thing on earth. But holiness, just like the refining process, is a messy business. But the results are worth the work and His reward is when He can see His own reflection in His children. Then He knows we are pure and fitted for His table.
But what I find interesting is that while this is true, it is equally true that we will all look different. When we look around and notice these (God given) distinctions we often criticize either ourselves or others thinking we should be more alike. But when we look up and are simply given to the refiners hands we see the distinctions as assets, as the many facets of our Fathers manifold wisdom being manifest and not as mistakes that we must labor in our flesh to overcome. As it is He who is faithfull to complete the good work He began in us and it is ours to simply cooperate and not resist.
On both sides from beginning to end this is a process of faith and it is by faith that we please Him.
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of His faith in us and I marvel, how is it that His faith in us as imperfect is greater than our faith in Him being perfect?
At times this shames me and yet other times is the only hope I have to hold on to.
So wherever I am in my walk, above all else (wether I go to hell at the end or not) I want Him to receive His reward in me, as much as He can possibly squeeze out of my life for His purpose....and this isn't to get something from Him at the end, rather it's because He's already given me what I didn't deserve in that He gave His son for me.
Sorry brother Mark,... this wasn't what I intended to write per your request but it's what came out so I'll just trust the Lord can use it to the good~
