TESTED BY THE FIRE
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TESTED BY THE FIRE
I came across a blog last week that wrote about us ‘being tested’ by God. It provoked such deep thought on my part, and it left the reader to question God’s motives. The blog passionately explained how God is waiting and hoping we will call on him during hard times and I agree completely but leaving it at ‘the test’ has me half invested in the great work of our God.
What about hope for the refining that we so desperately need and want during these hard times- so we can move on, grow, heal? If we leave it at the test it seems too orchestrated. So conditional. So pass/fail. God’s love, work, and power is there for us always and we need to focus on this…not the test. Our free will is really involved in this refining and the growth or goodness that might come. So how can we step in and walk through the fire if we don’t look past the test? We need assurance to step in. Hope to get us through…
AND WE HAVE IT.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
Isaiah 43:2
Why do you suppose so many of our bible verses that talk about trail also talk about the result? Like a set of twins, they are, difficulty and gain. It’s not good for us to focus on the difficulty, we need to look to the gain…on the result of the distress. This gives us hope. Hope gives us the energy, and strength to push through. Sometimes, we honestly don’t even know why we are in the midst of such difficulty but we can always know one thing…
If we call on God and cling to God… GOOD… WILL… COME.
How does he do that when we are often at fault? How can he be there when we are turning our back? How can something good come out of our most horrible nightmares, out of losses we can hardly bear, hurts that cut to the core, or selfishness and greed that run so deep we can’t see our way out? All I can say is…
HE CAN… AND HE WILL.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
Isaiah 43:2
It’s amazing to me how it takes days, months, years even to see God’s mighty work at hand…His unfailing unconditional love that heals and restores.
So often we don’t realize the master plan until we can look back. So we must rest on the promises of God. On the truth of HIM refining us. If we invite him into all of us, especially among our trials – healing transformation will be there then too. We don’t rejoice in the test alone. That makes no sense and seems nearly impossible…Rejoice in the transformation that is sure to come out of the trial. Praise Jesus.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:6-7
Much love friends,
Faith Infused Living…Reaches Goals Higher!
Niccie Kliegl RN, CLC
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