Snapshot: Threshing

Yesterday I was spending time with Vanessa and the Lord showed me a threshing fork--that He was "threshing out" the impurities in her spirituality.  I pondered on the meaning of this for a little while, and came to understand that He was separating the wheat from the chaff within her life.  He was creating in her a clean heart.

"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."  Matthew 3:12

Now, I believe that there is more than one application to the above verse.  Believers (wheat) and nonbelievers (chaff) will be separated on that judgement day, yes, but this message can also address the particulars of a single Christian's life.  God sorts through our lives, keeping the good, fruitful parts (the wheat), and removing the sinful parts (the chaff).  The chaff is then burnt away.  

God does this in His mercy!  By His Spirit, He puts to death our sinful parts (Romans 8:13). He burns up our uncleanness with His jealousy(Deuteronomy 4:24).  He cuts off the branches within us that bear no fruit (John 15:2).  The list goes on, but the point remains the same--God desires to do a purifying act within the lives of all His own.  He wants to thresh us out.  This may be painful, but in it we still see His goodness!  In it His grace is extended.  In this we see that our Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love and compassion (Psalm 103:8).  He wants all of us to come to the fullness of repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  When we open ourselves up to this threshing, we become closer to Him.

Confirmed:  Today a word by Bobby Connor was posted on the Quickened Word.  Below is an excerpt, with bolded parts for emphasis.




What significant event is upon us now?

--A Double Portion of Intimacy

The Hebrew word translated “barn” can also be translated “threshing place.” The threshing floor is indeed the place that is being opened to us now for this most significant season ahead. The threshing floor has been leveled and made smooth. It is a place where the wheat is separated from the chaff—the place where true treasures are discovered and stored. The threshing place is the treasured place where Ruth met her Boaz, where the Church meets her God—the place of profound intimacy. The threshing place is the place where the Beloved calls out to His Bride, Grace, grace!

How do we open the lock to this place of intimacy? What is the combination? It is our love for our neighbor and our Beloved, who calls out to us, Grace, Grace, as we read in Song of Solomon 5:5.