Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7, Colossians 2:8-23, Psalm 78:1-31, Proverbs24:26

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A Tester of Metals

When God called Jeremiah a “tester of metals,” it wasn’t just about pointing out flaws. In metallurgy, testing and refining go hand in hand. Metals are examined for impurities, but then they’re manipulated—heated, cooled, hammered, and reshaped—so their strength and usefulness are increased. What begins as a lump of ore can become something strong, pure, and valuable through the refining process.

That’s what Jeremiah’s ministry was meant to be: not only to reveal the impurities in people’s hearts, but to call them to repentance so they could be changed. God’s Word was the fire, Jeremiah was the refiner’s tool, and the people were the metal being tested, challenged, and—if they would submit—purified.

The same is true for us today. God’s Spirit doesn’t only expose the wrong motives, attitudes, and sins within us; He applies the refining heat to make us better. His Word convicts, but it also restores. And sometimes, like Jeremiah, He places us in situations where our witness and words are part of that refining process in others’ lives. We may feel like we’re just exposing what’s wrong, but in God’s hands, the goal is always transformation. And this must always be under the instruction of the Holy Spirit—He alone knows what people truly need. Our role is simply to listen and obey. May we, then, be faithful to the Refiner’s fire, allowing Him to purify us and use us so His glory shines through. 🩷

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

1. Ask God: “Lord, what impurities in me are You revealing right now?”
   • Journal what He whispers through the Holy Spirit
2. Then ask God, “What do you want me to know about that?”
   • Journal what He whispers through the Holy Spirit.
3. Then ask God, “What do you want me to do?”
   • Journal what He whispers then do it!

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Prayer

Father, thank You that You don’t just test me, but You refine me. You expose what is false in me, not to shame me, but to set me free. Help me submit to Your refining fire so I may shine with purity and strength. And use me, like Jeremiah, to lovingly speak truth—not from myself, but as guided by Your Holy Spirit—that transforms and restores. Amen.

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