I have recently had to watch several people close to me go through some extremely difficult situations and as is our human nature, we wonder why. Why do good people have to endure such hardships? Shouldn't such pain be reserved for the vile, evil people of this world?
I read a verse in Isaiah the other day with a phrase that caught my attention. It seemed to so accurately describe what I am seeing people have to go through.
Isaiah 48:10
"I have refined you but not in the way silver is refined. Rather I have refined you in the furnace of suffering." (emphasis mine) NLT
Some versions say "furnace of affliction." Let that phrase percolate in your brain for a minute.
Doesn't it feel like you are in a "furnace of affliction" at times? And not for some noble purpose like the refining of silver?
Let me put this particular verse in context. This whole passage in Isaiah 48 is reprimanding Israel for being stubborn and obstinate. Hear me now. I am not for one minute suggesting that the people in my life are being punished by God. My point here is not chastisement.
The very next verse, in Isaiah 48:11, says, "I will rescue you for my sake--yes, for my own sake! That way, the pagan nations will not be able to claim that their gods have conquered me. I will not let them have my glory!" (emphasis mine) NLT
So here's my point. Everything God allows to touch our lives is done for His glory. He rescues us for His sake, not ours. Sometimes that rescue may not look like we want it to but it is always done for His purpose. Maybe it's to prove His power. Maybe it's to bring us closer to Him. Maybe He has to bring us literally to our knees to get us to look up. Maybe He has to destroy the body to save the soul.
Do we always understand His purpose? No. Is His purpose always revealed this side of Heaven? Possibly not. But is it always perfect? Yes. Nothing going on in our lives changes who God is.
I've been through plenty of times in my life when I felt like I was in a "furnace of suffering." It's never a fun time but I can say with absolute certainty that God's purpose was served in every situation. His glory was revealed, not always to my complete understanding, but revealed nonetheless.
I ache for those going through tough times right now. But I know the Sovereign Lord and I know He "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20.
What an incredible promise. It is my prayer for each one of those in the "furnace of affliction" right now. It is all for His glory. Allow Him to reveal it to you and find the peace He wants you to experience, even in the darkest of times.
