drop your dross

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. (Psalm 119:119)

OK, I'm just gonna say it... there is nothing like a good poop! (Classy, right?)

Seriously though, nothing makes us feel more physically cleansed, more unpolluted, more footloose and fancy free, more satisfied and ready to get moving and grooving than when we have successfully dropped a plop. (I apologize this isn't a very ladylike conversation, but stay with me a little longer as I do have a point...) With this in mind, read the verse from Psalms again and consider what it is saying:

"All the wicked of the earth you drop like dross..."

What is "dross" you might ask? Well, dross is a common term used in metallurgy. It refers to the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal. So basically, it's the icky waste that is discarded through the process of smelting (the removal of impurities from metal), so that all that remains is pure, unadulterated ore, such as in purely refined gold or silver.

"... therefore I love your statutes."

This dross... this yuck of sin, this weight of corruption, this disappointment of unholy contamination... this is what God has promised to discard from our lives when we love and follow His proven laws. Where can we find God's statutes? Of course, in His holy, flawless Word.

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

This verse came to mind as a result of a conversation I recently had with Momba. We were discussing different areas of growth that have occurred (by the grace of God) over many years in both our lives. Then, we were discussing how aggressively the enemy keeps so many people imprisoned in individual forms of denial and contaminated belief systems. So much so, that many Christians still fall into the trap of accepting ourselves as a people who will always be broken and impure. But that concept is definitely not of the Lord. You see, Jesus came not only to save us from death, but to refine and restore us into His holy purity. He wishes for us to "drop our dross" so that with His authority we might release all the scum and impurity of sin within us... so that we can actually become increasingly more and more holy. Why? Because Jesus' Spirit of holiness now resides in our hearts!

The ultimate challenge in our Christian life is to continuously trust and glorify God while believing His promises through every forge and test presented on this earth. You see, trying circumstances are where our Master will touch and change us most - through His holy refining process! It is in the difficult times of hardship and loss that we are actually more prone to seek Him and thus lose our impurities as He hammers us into new creatures... creatures renewed by the pure love and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All the wickedness of this earth will indeed be dropped like dross... and we will enter God's kingdom as a fully cleansed, open, and obedient people... unpolluted, footloose and fancy free, and completely satisfied in the statutes of our King while ready to get moving and grooving in our new Heavenly citizenship! I can't wait, can you?

But while we still remain in this sinful economy, let me point out one last truth. The most interesting thing about how God removes our sinful waste and denial, is that He is a God who recycles what Satan intended to use for evil and instead uses it for His ultimate good! Just as manure can fertilize the earth for new crop growth or produce valuable fuel, God can use the experience of our "dropped dross" to nourish and revive others in need of His hope! When He restores us through His loving abundance, we are given the honor to praise and share His glorious Way! We become sweetly cleansed and fragrant examples of redemption - free from sin and death! How cool is that?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. (Psalm 66:8-12;16)

Ladies, are you intimately in love with God's law and wisely following His Way so that He may discard all wickedness from your life? Or are you still choosing to hang onto old, sinful habits and false belief systems, allowing Satan the opportunity to constipate the progress of your new life? If your answer is the latter, why keep sitting in denial? Why not follow your King's proven plan so that you can lose the sin and get up, get out, and get living your new life in Christ? Jesus came to remove every burden and free us from every prison so that we might live in His abundance! So, let's trust and glorify Him through every discomfort and fire and lose our loads! With His peace, we can live victoriously and share His good news to all who need hear. Our great Creator does not intend for us to remain broken and impure. No! He wishes to restore us and use us for His eternal good! WOO HOO! So, let's get pooping, peeps! Drop your dross!!!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson