This verse reminds me that God often uses hard times to refine us.
"I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering." - Isaiah 48:10
So many times I have heard people say on the other side of something hard, "I would not sign up for that trial, but I would not want to give back what I learned through the experience."
That is a truth bomb. We humans learn best the things we learn the hard way.
We learn through hard times and failure. We learn through sickness and disappointment. We moan and groan... and long for better times. Still, I think the scriptures remind us that the hard times produce good things in us. The refining fires shape us into better messengers of the Gospel. We are more compassionate, more empathetic, stronger, and more present for each other when we have known and survived hard times.
Your ministry... the thing that draws at your heartstrings... is likely a reflection of a trial God has brought you through. Perseverance is not an easy teacher, but a good one.
This quote is powerful:
"Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” -G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain
Remember that the trials of today are temporary. Hard times come and go. We choose how we respond to them. Do they defeat us or define us? Decisions. Decisions.
Today, I am grateful for hard times.
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