Tried By Fire
1Peter 1:6-7
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith may result in praise and glory."
Several years ago, I tried my hand at making some custom, homemade knives. I had access to some flat steel stock and handle material. I had accumulated a good amount of whitetail deer antlers that could easily be transformed into beautiful knife handles.
The blades were cut into rough shape and then ground to a finished state. They could then be polished and sharpened and attached to the handle. Not being a seasoned knife maker, my first attempts were crude and amateurish. There was one step that I failed to do during the process which was not tempering the blade. Tempering steel is the process of heating the steel to extremely high temperature and then quenching the steel to harden it. Raw carbon steel is very soft and requires high heat tempering to be useful as a tool. Without tempering, my knife blades would dull easily and be subject to damage during use. Not good qualities for an effective, useful tool. Benefits of tempered steel include reduced brittleness, increased toughness, enhanced wear resistance, and stabilized metal structure.
This concept of being tempered is true in the life of a Christian. We are not promised a life here on earth of comfort and ease. Many things will come into our life that put stress on us. In John 16:33, Jesus told his disciples; "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Often times we go through tests, trials, and temptations that are meant to benefit us and make our faith in Jesus stronger. James 1:2-4 tells us to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."
These tests of our faith lead to spiritual growth that develops perseverance and deepens our faith. If you are going through the fire of trials and tribulations, remember that God can use it to make you stronger, more mature in the faith, and draw you closer to Him. In our times of weakness, if we rely on the promises of God, it is then we are at our strongest.
Thank you Tim Jones, Chairman of the Board GGO
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