95. Refined in the Furnace
Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Refining doesn’t sound like a promise, but it is glorious to know that the afflictions we endure are refining furnaces. We all need a furnace of affliction, even, and especially, when we don’t think we need refining. Job is an example of one of the most righteous men who ever lived, but even Job needed the furnace of affliction. He finally learned this lesson and he repented in dust and ashes, just because he was mortal. Being mortal, he was a sinner. All sinners need refining.
Thank God, He knows what we need, and so He allows the furnace of affliction in order to refine us. The only way to remove impurities out of gold or silver is to turn up the heat. The same thing works for us. We don’t usually see the log in our own eye, much like Job, but the Lord sees and knows, and He loves. Therefore, God refines. When the heat is on and we go through the furnace we can be thankful instead of complaining, because God is doing something, even though we don’t see it or even have a clue.
God chooses us in the furnace. God chose His people Israel before and while they endured the affliction in Egypt. Jesus went into the furnace in order to refine us, and so He did. However, impurities remain in us, and the Lord loves us so much He desires to refine. So we thank God for the refining furnace. It is extremely difficult to praise God while we are in the fiery furnace, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived, and so will we. Refining is a promise, and we need to believe it: God will provide a way out; and when we are out we know we have been refined again.