Refiner's Fire

Many people claim that there is no God or that He is a cruel and uncaring God when they are afflicted or suffer. Whilst God does not wish us to suffer, suffering does have a purpose. Most suffering comes from our own foolish choices or the agency of others who care more for the things of this world than for people. But the Lord also allows suffering as a teaching and a refining. In all cases of suffering, whether it is as a result of our own choices, the agency of others or for His wise purposes, the Lord is with us and bears most of the suffering. He never abandons us. The things I have suffered in my life have served to cause me to know more fully that there is a God and that He is all loving, merciful and wise.

 I foolishly worshiped the 'golden calf' whilst still professing love of God. What followed was a long period of wandering in the wilderness. A time of grief, despair, fear, loneliness and pain. I came to learn through this period, as a passed through the 'refiner's fire' that nothing here on earth, no possession, emotion or status, has any real value or power and only the Lord God is worth worshiping.

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Zechariah 13:9

And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression
And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 26: 7-9

For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard.

Psalm 22:24

Deep roots.

I know the gospel is true. I can't explain why I have such a deep testimony; it is a gift from God. I know that this life is neither the beginning nor the end. I have experienced much heartache and affliction in this life including divorce from the man I love very much, financial losses that caused me to lose my home many times, severe ill health with depression and MS-like symptoms where I was going blind and deaf and losing the ability to function or look after myself, and being on suicide watch over my son who was struggling with depression. But despite, or maybe because of, these things, my testimony of God and His plan for us, His children, has gone deep. Like roots searching for water, my testimony has become deep and strong.

I do not think my times of trial are over but I do know that the Lord is at the helm and whatever He sends into my life is for a wise purpose, even though I often cannot see what it is at the time:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

In our weakness, we come to know the power of the Lord, if we will be humble.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge is a beautiful story that has this thread of truth running though it.

Messages of God's Abundance

Corrie Ten Boom was a great lady who loved the Lord and served Him. She was imprisoned in Ravensbruck during WWII because of her work helping those the Hitler Regime wished to destroy. She lost many of her family members and witnessed much evil and suffering. Yet she emerged from these experiences a warrior for Truth and Light.

After the war, she gave a series of radio talks, thanks to Trans World Radio, which were beamed across Europe and into Germany, using the very transmitters that the Nazi's built, but never used, to spread their propaganda. Some of these talks have been published and here is an extract from one:

'When I was released (from Ravensbruck) and went back home, my body carried the scars of the camp for a long time. My friends were afraid I would say: "The greatest reality in life is human cruelty." But through God's grace I was able to say: "There are three great realities in life. The first is the ocean of God's love in Jesus Christ, second, God's promise's, and third, God's commandments."

Messages of God's Abundance: Corrie Ten Boom.