Behold, I have refined thee,
but not with silver; I have
chosen thee in the furnace
of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10
As a Christian I am sometimes consigned by the Lord to go through my own furnace of affliction...
but not with silver; I have
chosen thee in the furnace
of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10
As a Christian I am sometimes consigned by the Lord to go through my own furnace of affliction...
And it is a God of love Who has ordained this for me, not to cause me harm, but to purify for Himself a man who loves the Lord. And I believe God does this with all His children. He will allow us to enter into various trials, not only to test our faith in order to see how it has grown, but also to purge us from our sinful ways and from all aspects of the flesh.
Furthermore, if we endure our trials and travels through this spiritual furnace, we will see our Christian character reach new levels of maturity. In addition, the furnace will help to humble us and make us more like Christ, Himself. Whom, as the New Testament says, "Though He (Jesus) was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)."
Of course no one likes the furnace. For it is a place of shaping, molding, training and pain. But it's for our good. The challenge, though, is to endure it. The Christian is not to try to exit his particular trial and leave the furnace too prematurely before the inner work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished.
And, as a bowl made of clay must pass in and out of a hot kiln many times before it becomes properly formed and hardened, so too must we endure the same. It's a process of purifying and perfecting. Like my recent hospitalization, for instance, it was for a purpose. The furnace, then, is something to thank God for even while our flesh wants to avoid it at all costs, even to the point of running away.
D.B.
Furthermore, if we endure our trials and travels through this spiritual furnace, we will see our Christian character reach new levels of maturity. In addition, the furnace will help to humble us and make us more like Christ, Himself. Whom, as the New Testament says, "Though He (Jesus) was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)."
Of course no one likes the furnace. For it is a place of shaping, molding, training and pain. But it's for our good. The challenge, though, is to endure it. The Christian is not to try to exit his particular trial and leave the furnace too prematurely before the inner work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished.
And, as a bowl made of clay must pass in and out of a hot kiln many times before it becomes properly formed and hardened, so too must we endure the same. It's a process of purifying and perfecting. Like my recent hospitalization, for instance, it was for a purpose. The furnace, then, is something to thank God for even while our flesh wants to avoid it at all costs, even to the point of running away.
D.B.
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