“I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.”

Isa. 48:10

Check it out,

God refines us, but not as silver;

God tries and choses us in the furnace of affliction.

It’s for His sake, He does it [

He won’t utterly destroy us
He’s not going to let His name to be polluted & profaned
He’s not going to allow His glory to be diminished
by permitting the worshipers of idols to triumph over us

God lets us in on the way He works in us:

He tells us what He’s doing beforehand,

But are we paying attention? Are we alert to His voice?

Or are we a bunch of hardheads?

Are we obstinate and a bunch of dumb donkeys?

Idol worshippers & profane politicians don’t have an edge on us.

Doesn’t God’s voice come like a soft shower through
His Word!

Doesn’t God’s voice assuage the fury of the the flame?

God’s voice is our asbestos armor, the fire has no power!

Let the affliction come─God has chosen us.

“Poverty, You can stride in at our door;

but God is in the house already & He has chosen us.

Sickness, you can intrude; but God has comforts ready

God has chosen us.

Whatever happens in this vale of tears,

We know that God has chosen us.

Fear not, Christ Jesus is with us.

In all our fiery trials,

His presence is our comfort & safety.

He will never leave us

He has chosen us for His own.

He keeps saying:

“Fear not, for I am with you,”

We are His chosen ones in “the furnace of affliction.”

C. H. Spurgeon.

Pain’s furnace heat within us quivers,
God’s breath upon the flame doth blow;

And all our heart in anguish shivers
And trembles at the fiery glow;

And yet we whisper, “As God will!”
And in the hottest fire hold still.

He comes & lays our heart, all heated,
On the hard anvil, minded so

Into His own fair shape to beat it
With His great hammer, blow on blow;

And yet we whisper, “As God will!”
And at His heaviest blows hold still.

He takes our softened heart & beats it;
The sparks fly off at every blow;

He turns it o’er & o’er & heats it,
And lets it cool & makes it glow;

And yet we whisper, “As God will!”
And in His mighty hand hold still.

Why should we murmur? for the sorrow
Thus only longer-lived would be;

The end may come & will tomorrow,
When God has done His work in us;

So we say trusting, “As God will!”
And, trusting to the end, hold still.”

Julius Sturm.

The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about
our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls.

Richter