Not too long ago, my husband attended a blacksmith class. Afterwards, here’s what he had to say:
In order for you to shape the iron, the fire has to be really hot otherwise it will crack under pressure. An iron tool needs to be repeatedly in the fire and pounded in order for it to be made strong and reliable.
The whole point of forging is to increase the strength of the finished product. And its strength is a direct result of being repeatedly in and out of the fire, pounded with hammers and shaped with a file.
God doesn’t randomly toss us into the furnace. He uses trials in our lives to purify us, to remove what will ultimately weaken the blade He is shaping. Fire sharpens our focus, solidifies our purpose, strengthens our resolve. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood before the fiery furnace, they declared, “If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3:17-18, MSG). When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, Moses cautioned them, “Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today” (Deuteronomy 4:20). There was something greater on the other side of the fire.
This generation has been forged in fire. My oldest daughter was waiting to enter the world on September 11, 2001, and she’s preparing to launch this spring. Her senior year has been far different than any of us imagined, with incredibly wonderful opportunities and really challenging disappointments. In a season already rife with change, the world has become almost unrecognizable overnight.
There’s comfort in knowing that God is equipping my child for whatever lies before her (2 Timothy 3:17). I suspect it will be an incredible adventure, and I’m grateful that He isn’t sending her out into it alone and empty-handed (Matthew 28:20). He knows the path and what she will need, and He’s preparing her for every step of the way. She was made for this.
He knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. Job 23:10