#195 Refinement Requires You To Release

Refinement sounds beautiful until it starts asking you to release what you swore you’d never put down. We’re talking about separation, purification, and letting go through the lens of Isaiah 48:10, where God says He chooses us in the furnace of affliction. That furnace is not proof you’re rejected, it’s often proof you’re being refined.

I walk through five scriptural reasons letting go is not optional if we want spiritual growth. We unpack Isaiah 43:18–19 and the “new thing” God promises when we stop living in the former things. We also get practical about “dead weight” and why guilt, shame, and emotional ties can feel heavier than anything else, connecting that struggle to Hebrews 12:1 and Philippians 3:13–14. If you’ve been trying to move forward while carrying what’s behind you, this will put words to what you’ve been feeling.

Then we go deeper into transformation and mindset, because real change doesn’t happen by willpower alone. Romans 12:2 becomes the blueprint for renewing your mind instead of conforming by default. We also talk discernment, because everything isn’t meant to go with you, and Ecclesiastes 3:6 reminds us there’s a time to keep and a time to cast away. Finally, we land on peace, the kind that surpasses understanding, by casting our cares on God through 1 Peter 5:7.

If this message helps you breathe again, subscribe, share it with someone who’s struggling to release, and leave a review so more listeners can find the podcast. What are you ready to let go of today?

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Transcript

Welcome And Monthly Focus

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Hello, hello, and welcome back. God's Diamond in the Rough. We are so glad to be before you one more time. I am Catherine. If you don't know who I am, if you don't know who I am by now, how are you at? You're yes, I am again. I'm glad to be before you. Uh, this month we are still talking about separation and purification. Yes, and focusing on letting go. Letting go. Uh, it ain't always easy, is it? Yeah. Our scripture, anchor scripture is Isaiah 48 verse 10. Uh, before I pray, before I pray, let me get my words together, y'all. Uh, before I pray, I'm gonna read the scripture and then we'll go right to prayer. So it says, Behold, I have refined thee. He says, but not with silver. I have chosen, say that again. He said, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Hello, somebody. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for yet another day, a day we'll never see again. Father, we bless your name as we bless your people. I pray, God, you will use me now to your glory. You would have your way. I thank you so much for all that you're doing, all that you're about to do in and through me in this time. God, I pray that every heart that is here is hungry for truth, hungry for more, hungry for understanding, hunger for uh clarity. God, I pray that we would all be seeking out the diamond that is within. We love you, we thank you. We turn this time over to you, God, that will be what you are having to be. We give you glory, honor, and all the praise in Jesus Christ's name. We do pray. Amen, amen, and amen. Hallelujah. Yes, so it's time to jump right into it. So last week we talked about uh still being chosen, even though there is affliction there, and that the power is in the furnace. Yes, it is in the furnace. If you have not listened to last week's episode, I want to encourage you to do that. Yes, whether it be before or after, even though they all run right, they're running back to back in alignment as the Lord has given it to me. So I definitely encourage you again before or after, take a listen to last week's episode. Yes, hallelujah. So moving forward, right on along. This week our topic is refinement requires you to release. Come on, somebody. Refinement requires you to release. Hallelujah. Refinement is all about the process of getting rid of what? Impurities, getting rid of the things that are not doing us any good. I would definitely go back to the beginning of this particular season so that you can learn more about the refinement process thus far, especially in the spiritual aspect. He is getting rid of some things. Hallelujah. He doesn't get rid of things, according to Isaiah 48, with silver, but through through the furnace, through the fire. Hallelujah. Burning away some things that we want to hold on to. This month is about letting it go and choosing to let it go. And and and and understanding what the word require means. Require means need to, like a demand or to make something essential. Hallelujah. This is an essential thing that you release it. You hallelujah. I personally feel like God will drive us to a place of obedience, but he does not force us to be obedient. Do you hear what I'm saying? Hallelujah. But the reality is that in order to be able, to be able to grab a hold of what the things that are in front of you and not focus on what's behind you, you gotta be willing to let it go. And it's gonna require you to let it go in order so that you can get where it is that Jesus desires for you to go. So I'm so glad we're just moving right along. Hallelujah. And prayerfully, I'm gonna have plenty of time to talk about this text as we dive deep. So, the essence of our conversation, I, you know, I gave you a topic, but the essence of it is why do I need to be willing to release it? You know? I mean, here's the thing. Oftentimes we, you know, we hear something from God, or we hear something in the news, or we hear something uh across the pulpit, whatever have you. And we're thinking to ourselves, why I need to do that? You know, and or you're here, or or you'll be doing what you're doing, and somebody will come come to you and say, why you gotta do all of that? And then often time we don't have an answer. Hallelujah. And so today I'm going to give you five reasons according to scripture why we need to be willing to let go. Hallelujah. Why we need to let go of some stuff. Hallelujah. Yeah, so I hope that you have your journal if you're driving along and you're busy or maybe you're at work or whatever have you. Look, make sure you re-listen to this episode because these scriptures are important, important, and they become your they become your uh anchor as to why you why you would let the thing go. Hallelujah. Don't let people talk you into holding on to stuff that you can't change. Look, past is the past. The only thing and the best thing you can do is to let it go. Hallelujah. So the first scripture I want to entertain or look to us to take a look at, and the first reason why we need to be willing to let things go is to allow you to possess what is in front of you. It's so that it will allow, so it allows you, okay, be willing to let things go, to let something go, to to release something, look, it's so that you can attain or possess the thing that is in front of you. Let's go to Isaiah 43, verse 18 and 19, and I'm gonna read it because I do have the time today. Isaiah 43 verses 18 says, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. He says, Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall ye not know it? He says, I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Okay, look. He says to us, he says, let go of what what it was. He said, the former things. Not that it was all bad, hallelujah. Some things just have expired. Hallelujah. So he said, Don't worry about what has already, you know, expanded its life or yield, yielded its life, livelihood, or whatever you want to call it. He said, Don't consider the things of the old. He said, Don't don't even be concerned about what it was. Isn't it interesting how we focus, we put more focus on what it was than what it is. Hallelujah. I I am so guilty of that, especially in my marriage. I tend to focus on what it was when it first started, and not focus on focusing on what it is now that it has matured and continues to mature. I'm still thinking about, you know, you know, the the newness of of being together and all of that, you know, all the things that come with that. Uh because but but see, now what it is, it's not so much of the things that they matter, but they're not as important. Now it is more or less about the time that we have together, the building, what we're raising up together. That's what it's more about now. Excuse me. The devil is a liar. Let me drink some water. I'm glad I got water. Okay, so he said, Don't be concerned about what it was. And you know, forget about it. Hallelujah. He said, Behold, as to say, look, look ahead. Look this way, you know. Stop looking back here. Look this way, stop looking behind you. Stop looking in the rearview mirror. He said, I look at what's right in front of you. He said, I will. Okay. So I will is about expectation. Expect him. He said, I will do a new thing. Hallelujah. Stop hanging on to the old. Okay? Stop hanging on to what it was. Because you got to look for what he's gonna give you in exchange for the pain, in exchange for the lack, in exchange for the less, in exchange for whatever you are releasing. He says, now shall spring. He says, now it shall spring forth. What is it? It gives us an indication of the thing that he said is new. Now, when you're talking about new, you ain't never possessed it before. It might be old to them, but it's brand new to you. Hallelujah. It might be, it might be like the vehicle I just got. Look, it might be 2006, but it's new to me in 2026. You hear me? Hallelujah. Look, he said, it he said, it will spring forth. You're talking about spring, it's like boom, there it is. Like one minute it wasn't, and now it is just boom, just that fast, like a snap of a finger. He said, it'll spring forth. And he said, he said, you ain't even gonna know how it, how you were able to obtain it. That's how fast it's going to happen. He says, and I will. Okay? He said, not only is this thing gonna happen, but it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen in a dry place. Hallelujah. It's gonna happen in an area and time where there seems to be nothing. Nothing happening, nothing going on. And he says, look, he says, and not only that, but in those dry places where there shouldn't be anything happening, he said, I'm gonna bring rivers. Hallelujah. Rivers is about life because water brings life. Hallelujah. Not only does it bring life, but he said, he said, river, river, a river flows. Hallelujah. And here's another thing about a river. A river is like this, it's an off, it comes off of major. Come on, somebody. Do you hear me? It comes off of the larger part of a larger body of water. It stems off of it. Hallelujah. Unless it dries up, unless it's it comes, there's a level of separation from the bigger, hallelujah, then that's the only way you can stop it. Hallelujah. The river, and look, it's a reverse plural. So more than one way. Hallelujah. So the provision will be there. You just gotta trust him for it. Hallelujah. Trust him for the more. Trust him for the new. Number two. Dead weight is heavy. Hallelujah. This is why you need to be willing. Because dead weight is heavy. You cannot walk. It's a whole lot more difficult when you got weights all over your back, on your arms, on your legs, all of these things. Look, this is a twofold thing. Hallelujah. Look. Dead weight is heavier because it has no life. I don't know if you've ever tried to carry something that have you ever tried to pick somebody up off the floor that's sleep or limp, and they're not moving, they're not giving you any kind of aid to get them off of the floor, to get you. It's dead weight. It's like ever the heaviest part of the person or the thing is at the bottom, it's on the floor. And you got to overcome lifting all of it up off the floor before you can get it to where it needs to be. Hallelujah. Dead weight is a heavy thing to carry. Here's the flip side of that coin. When you take all that dead weight off, this is why, look, look, look, look. You take all, let me finish my first point, Catherine. Slow down. When you take all that dead weight off of you, your muscle muscles are inflated, guess you could say. And it feels like, ooh, dang, I feel like I'm I've just been lifting weights all day long. Your muscles is contracted, and then it's sitting sitting full of all kinds of air and all and all the things. You heard me? What is my point? Even though it's dead weight, the dead weight make you stronger. Hallelujah. Amen. It wasn't for nothing. Even though you can't carry that weight with you, it's still gonna make you strong. In the end, when it comes off, you're stronger than you were before without it. Come on, somebody. Hebrews 12, you know we gotta back it up. Hebrews 12, verse 1, and Philippians 3, verse 13 through 14. Hebrews, Hebrews 12, 1. I should have my tablet in front of me and make this thing a whole lot faster and quicker. Hallelujah. Let me go on and read Hebrews. I mean Philippians, because I'm already at the chapter. Hebrews 13, I mean 3, verse 13 14 says, Brethren, brethren, I could not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So he said, you know, I could have had apprehension. I could have, oh Paul said, wait a minute, maybe later. You know, made all of them excuses that we make for holding on to stuff and holding on to people. But Paul said here, he said, look, at the end of the day, I'm gonna forget that thing because it's behind me. I can't get a hold to what's behind me, but I can reach for what's in front of me. He said, and I got to press. Somebody say, press, press toward the mark, toward the prize, toward there's something. There should be something in front of you that says, come get me. Hallelujah. Come on and get me. Give it your best shot. You hear what I'm saying? It's something, it should be something that makes you say, huh. You know this all. Y'all excuse me. My inside humor. I gotta do it. You hear me? Look, all right, I'm I'm moving on. Hebrews 1. So wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight. Okay? Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily beset us. Hallelujah. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Hallelujah. So Paul says, what does he say here? He says, let us lay it down. So the weight that we are carrying, take it off. He said, not only the weight, the dead weight, all of the shame, the embarrassment, all of the things, because you know, when we're dealing with, especially, especially emotional ties, it's even heavier than actual sin. Hallelujah. When you're out here doing this and doing that, doing the things that you ain't got no business doing, you know it, that's sin. But when you, it's even heavier, even heavier when you're holding on to guilt, you're holding on to shame, you're holding on to emotional ties. That is dead weight. And both of the two can can make us go back two or three steps versus going forward. He said, let us run. Hallelujah, yeah, we can walk. But he said, be excited about it. Run with patience, the race that has been set before us. Look, make it your business to be about your business. Hallelujah. Yeah, you can take your time, but why waste time when no man knows the time nor the hour that he will come? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Number three, it's only way to transformation. That's why. It's the only way to transformation. Hallelujah. It's the only way. Romans 12, verse 2. And it's one of my favorite, all-time favorite scriptures. It's the scripture that our ministry was built on. It is the ministry that I stand on, stand on all, you know, for all my every sense for my whole relationship life. Yes. And I say that like that because I didn't, I wasn't always relational. Hallelujah. Amen. Unbeknowing to me, I was religious, but I had no idea. Amen. But once I got into a relationship, Jesus, he put this, it became my standard. This here, this verse I'm getting ready to read, has become my standard. And I send everybody to it. You hear me? He says, be not and be not conformed to this world. He said, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Hallelujah. So it's the only way. Amen. The only way. Why? Because you got to choose not to do it the way the world does. You gotta choose not to handle it the way you used to handle it. You have to choose. How do you choose? You choose by renewing your mind. Hallelujah. You choose by putting in some new information, new uh ways to handle it, new tactics, new ways. Hallelujah. You renew your mind. Your mind with spirit and truth. Hallelujah. And once as you do that, because it really is, it's a life, it's a lifelong process that the the process of renewal in your mind. He says, He says, when you do that, it proves, it shows everybody that is watching you that his will is the only way. Hallelujah. That his will will be done. All they're gonna see is what is good, what is acceptable, and perfect in the sight of God. Hallelujah. So we don't have to be perfect before men because we are imperfect. But in the sight of God, we are exactly what we're supposed to be, what we're supposed to be in that season of our life. Hallelujah. We don't gotta put on for nobody. Amen. We ain't got to put on and try to pull off this idea of what we think we ought to be. He says to us, just renew your mind. Hallelujah. And and and as you renew your mind, you're gonna transform. Hallelujah. You you you you look, if you don't, if you don't renew your mind, then you conform to the world by default. Hallelujah. Ain't no middle. It's either you either you are gonna renew your mind or you're gonna conform to the world. You're gonna do it the way because we have a sin nature. Hallelujah. It is in our nature to sin, it is in our nature to move by our flesh, it is in our nature to follow the crowd, it's in our nature to do what we did before we got into a relationship with Jesus. I'm moving on for time's sake. Hallelujah. I got six more minutes. I got a roll. Hallelujah. Number four. Everything isn't meant to go with you. That's why. Look, you need to be willing because everything and everybody is not meant to go with you. Hallelujah. And the thing that it requires is discernment. You gotta be able to discern what is for you and what is against you when it's time to let it go and the time to keep it. Hallelujah. Amen. Now, I I believe the Ecclesiastes is the perfect scripture book to go into about it's a time when it's time to do certain things. Hallelujah. Now, I'm trying to find it. And I can't believe I'm having a hard time finding it. I think it's right after Jeremiah. Let's see. Uh get to know your Bible. Get to know your Bible. Uh uh. Nope. I got ahead of myself. Hold on, hold on, hold on. It's after Psalms. I mean after Proverbs. I know it. I know where it's at. Okay, bear with me. You heard me? I told you I'm imperfect. Hallelujah. Alright. Ecclesiastes 3, verse 6 says, There is a time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep, and a time to cast away. Amen. There's a time for it. Like, as much as we want to hold on and keep stuff, keep people in our lives, there's a time that you must release it. Release it. And just as there's a time to lose it or release it, it's a time to attain, retain, and a time to uh keep. Hallelujah. You gotta be willing to go through the whole process. Not just what you think is is good, you know, keeping and holding on to something. Look, I didn't said it before in the past relationship I love you enough to let you go. That's what you want to do. Hallelujah. Because at the end of the day, if you ain't happy, you're gonna make me unhappy. I'm just saying that's a nugget for somebody. You heard me? Hallelujah. Number five, last one. Because it brings you peace. Hallelujah. Be willing to let it go because it will bring you peace. In particular, a peace that surpasses understanding. Let's go to 1 Peter. Chapter 5, verse 7. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 7. I'm getting to it. I'm getting to it. Give me a minute. Let's see. Oh, that's John. First Peter. I'm almost there. 2 Peter. 5 verse 7. Let's see. Okay. 5 verse 7 says, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Keep your peace. If you cast your troubles and the things that are heavy and hard, you can't you give them to him, like he said, give them to me. And in return, I'm gonna give you peace. And it's gonna be a peace that surpasses understanding. Hallelujah. Look, at the end of the day, as we come to a close today, all in all, embrace the process, okay? The five. I'm gonna repeat them again real quick because we're coming down to the end of the show today. Five reasons why you need to be willing to let go of things and let go of people. Is number one, it allows you to possess what is in front of you. Number two, dead weight is having number three, it's only it's the only way to transformation. Number three, everything isn't meant to go with you, and number five, it brings you peace. Embrace your process again. Don't do not allow yourself to compare yourself with anybody else. Because at the end of the day, your everybody's path is different. So next week, next week we will talk about how some separation can come without explanation. Some separation can and will come without explanation, and it's still God. Hallelujah. It is still God. You know, we give way too much credit to the devil. Hallelujah. Everything that that's uncomfortable is and and and and you know doesn't feel good and all of those things. We always say the devil is a liar. Sometimes it's not the devil, sometimes it's something that God allowed to happen so that He can bring something to pass. We don't like the negative, we don't like the painful, we don't like those things, but a lot of those things are necessary for the flowers on the other side of it. A lot of those things are necessary for the blessing on the other side of it. So I pray that somebody can receive that in the name of Jesus. Let's pray. Father, I thank you again for your grace and your mercy. Thank you, God, for one more day. Thank you, God, for another episode. Thank you, God, for ever for another mind and heart that was here, able to glean from what it is that you've poured in that I have now poured out. I pray, God, you will continue to bless as you will. God, that you will just have your way. We love you so much and we're so very grateful, so thankful. We pray this, we ask it all. In Jesus Christ's name we do pray. Amen. Amen and amen. Hallelujah. Again, I say, I hope y'all will come on back with me next week. Those of you that are faithful and you've been here ever since I started back. I appreciate I appreciate you. I shout you out. Hallelujah, Julie, and everybody else. She's the one, she's my one that I know that's here every single week. I shout you out, sis. I appreciate you. And everybody else, come on back, be a repeat. Let me know that you've been listening. Let me know how it's been helping you. Hallelujah. I love you so very much. So many blessings from me to you. And as Michael always says, remember, you are a diamond in the rough. Hallelujah. Blessings and love from me to you. Y'all have a great, great day.