"Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10)Recently, I found myself in the furnace of affliction because of something beyond my control. After having a check-up with my OB-GYN, followed by many other tests, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The thought came to mind after hearing the diagnosis was, ‘the furnace of affliction.’ I recognized the fact that I had no say in the matter of getting cancer but I did have a choice in how I would respond. My choice or choices, I believe, determine the outcome of my particular furnace.
Certainly, I am not the first nor will I be the last person to find themselves in a furnace of affliction. Scripture is filled with them. With faith and God’s grace, I considered their choices and determined to make the same choices they made.
Way back in the early ‘40’s, a desire to know God began to grow in my heart; no doubt the seed of my desire had been planted by my mother. In 1949, at nine years of age, I made the choice to commit my life to the Lord. He marvelously filled me with the Holy Spirit. Through the years, I chose to commit again and again to the Lord as situations in life loomed up before me. Yet, here I was again, facing a new furnace... What would I choose? Three choices came to mind...
- Charge God foolishly
- Curse God and die
- Pray
I have Job’s witness...
He held firm to what He believed, and knew from experience, about God
"In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:22)
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." (Job 2:9) Job's wife was so distraught she encouraged her husband to curse God!
"…Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." (Job 2:10)
I had James’ (the brother of the Lord) words also!
"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:13-16)
Let’s consider the questions & choices James posed in this passage...
- Is any afflicted? Pray!
- Is any merry? Sing!
- Is any sick? Call for elders; let them pray anointing with oil in the Name of the Lord. The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord will raise him up and if there be sin, they shall be forgiven.
The key here, I believe, is save him and ‘raising’ up; James did not say heal here in this phrase. In the latter portion of verse 16, there is the promise of healing when we pray one for another. It is the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much - one in right standing with God and with one another.
James gives us the answers to the questions; answers with promises in regard to our furnace of affliction. Yet I must answer with my choices in regard to his questions. James could not make the choices for me! I had to choose to reply per his instruction. If not, I will find myself among the number who chose to charge God foolishly, or curse God and die!
In the furnace of affliction I will pray; I will sing; I will call and the Lord shall save; the Lord shall raise up; the Lord shall forgive; the Lord will apply His righteousness and the Lord shall deliver me!
"As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise." (Proverbs 27:21)"A person’s character will be revealed by what he considers important enough to praise." – Sages of Torah
‘The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts." (Proverbs 17:3)One of the great Jewish sages says, "With the right tools anyone can test the purity of things but only God can determine the purity of the heart. We are not able to do so but God’s furnace will reveal it."
The Fourth Man in the Fire will always walk with us in the furnace of affliction when we choose in agreement with His Word. He enters my furnace. He chooses to do so! In the furnace I become truly known by Him and He by me; I become unto Him a person of inheritance! He gives what the world can never take away – and it is more precious than pure gold!
"But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth [withdrawn you] out of the iron furnace [crucible] ...to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day." (Deuteronomy 4:20)
Editor's Note: Betty Austin, wife of Charles Austin and mother of four children, (including Laurel Williams, who wrote an article for the September issue,) is a member of The Apostolic Church in Auburn Heights, Michigan (Pastor Steve Warman), where she is involved in the teaching ministry. Update on her medical condition includes a praise report that surgery was successfully performed on September 19th. Subsequent tests have her doctors feeling they have removed the threat completely. We praise the Lord with Sis. Betty and her family over the good report! - mjk
James gives us the answers to the questions; answers with promises in regard to our furnace of affliction. Yet I must answer with my choices in regard to his questions. James could not make the choices for me! I had to choose to reply per his instruction. If not, I will find myself among the number who chose to charge God foolishly, or curse God and die!
In the furnace of affliction I will pray; I will sing; I will call and the Lord shall save; the Lord shall raise up; the Lord shall forgive; the Lord will apply His righteousness and the Lord shall deliver me!
"As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise." (Proverbs 27:21)"A person’s character will be revealed by what he considers important enough to praise." – Sages of Torah
‘The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts." (Proverbs 17:3)One of the great Jewish sages says, "With the right tools anyone can test the purity of things but only God can determine the purity of the heart. We are not able to do so but God’s furnace will reveal it."
The Fourth Man in the Fire will always walk with us in the furnace of affliction when we choose in agreement with His Word. He enters my furnace. He chooses to do so! In the furnace I become truly known by Him and He by me; I become unto Him a person of inheritance! He gives what the world can never take away – and it is more precious than pure gold!
"But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth [withdrawn you] out of the iron furnace [crucible] ...to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day." (Deuteronomy 4:20)
Editor's Note: Betty Austin, wife of Charles Austin and mother of four children, (including Laurel Williams, who wrote an article for the September issue,) is a member of The Apostolic Church in Auburn Heights, Michigan (Pastor Steve Warman), where she is involved in the teaching ministry. Update on her medical condition includes a praise report that surgery was successfully performed on September 19th. Subsequent tests have her doctors feeling they have removed the threat completely. We praise the Lord with Sis. Betty and her family over the good report! - mjk
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