Daily Devotional – Thursday, January 11, 2024
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10 (NKJV)
It is interesting how a counselor often benefits from his own counsel. I experienced this in a session with a depressed young man whose progress in life had been derailed by a near-fatal accident. I encouraged him to treat his tribulations as a stepping stone to a better life and to believe that God had a noble reason for allowing him to go through his ordeal.
Tried and Tested
What he did not know is that as I helped him make sense of his personal tribulations, I was counseling myself. I had reached a point in my life where I wondered why God kept allowing trial after another to engulf me. I was going through those ‘when it rains, it pours’ moments.
I found myself sharing with my young friend the harrowing experiences I had undergone that had made me a better person. Looking back at the pit from which God had picked me made me appreciate my suffering, albeit from the vantage point of hindsight.
In the Furnace of Affliction
God’s message to His people through Prophet Isaiah now made sense: “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10). God does not waste time casting valueless stones into His incinerator. Our suffering and affliction are proof that He sees value in us and wants to develop it.
By the end of the counseling session, the young man appreciated that his tough challenges proved God loved him. We can face our challenges with optimism when we know God has a purpose for every situation we face. He loves us immensely, which is why He teaches us through trials.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for refining and testing me in Your furnace of affliction. I know it will make sense one day.
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Amen.
Indeed it is in the the furnace of affliction where strength, endurance, and a resilient spirit are produced.
May I always endure the test and the trials that come my way..I believe a refined product will eventually be the result.
Well-stated, Doc.