“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48:10. . . Do you ever feel like God is putting you through a season (“furnace”) of affliction/suffering in order to teach or “refine” you? Maybe you’re in that kind of season now, struggling to see God’s hand in the midst of your pain, frustration, and/or grief. I can relate...I’m not in a season of suffering, really, but there have definitely been days this week when I’ve felt incredibly sad and frustrated, unable to really understand God’s plan and desire for me. . . I think the Israelites in Exodus can relate, too. This week we’ve seen how they’ve been suffering under the yoke of slavery in Egypt, and it isn’t until God sends Moses and Aaron that they begin to glimpse a flicker of hope and light in their situation (Exodus 1-11). . . But that’s exactly it...we may feel like there’s no end to this suffering and brokenness, be it in our personal lives or in the world we live in. Whether or not you believe in God, there ARE going to be days when this life on earth looks pretty bleak, at least in our human eyes. But God, in His sovereignty, and in His incredible GRACE and LOVE for us, *has a plan*. Though we may not see it now, He is using this pain and brokenness for GOOD, to test us, refine us, and ultimately to transform us into people of hope and faith who will spread His love and healing to the ends of the earth. It sounds radical, it sounds dramatic...it honestly sounds too good to be true...but isn’t the God we serve more than able to exceed our expectations? . . “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.” . #foodforthought #refinersfire #Hisplan #Histiming #Hisway #Hedelivers #Heisgood #trustinHim #howHeloves #isaiah48 #exodus #romans8 #YOBL #yearofbiblicalliteracy #day20 (at StuyTown)
