‘In the furnace’
My faith feels tarnished, stained,
edges worn, rust ingrained
No walking on water for me ~
I’m sinking in seas of adversity
Years of being at the end
of a fragile, fraying rope
leave us dangling, uncertain,
with bruised hearts, dashed hope
What began shiny, new
penny-bright, has faded
into fog, misted out of view,
jaded, gone from sense and sight
Yet, be it weak, small as
mustard seed to be sown
our faith does not depend
on ourselves or strength alone
Nor is it stretched by being
untested over time and years
or lost, unseen, when eyes
blur and swim with tears
Time spent in The Refiner’s fire
is to purify, burn off dross
from flawed motives and desires
we have counted as loss
We enter defiled, soiled as dust,
fragile, worn out and feeling old
We emerge, unmarred, unscarred by rust
renewed, restored ~ come forth as gold
©JoyLenton2014
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, these have come so that your faith ~ of greater worth than gold , which perishes even though refined by fire ~ may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed” ~ 1Peter1:6 -7
Dear Lord,
Even as we squirm and resist the fiery furnace of affliction, help us to remain until your work is complete in us.
As sickness, pain and problems weigh heavy, enable us to withstand the heat they bring and to see your hand in everything.
May we learn patience, endurance and trust as our faith gets stretched beyond our ability to cope.
For when we’re left dangling at the end of our rope, we are never as alone as we may feel.
Your arms are always ready to reach out, lift and support, carry and hold us, provide rest and respite, strength to go on.
May we be reassured by your continual loving presence and willing to say ~ have your way in me.
Amen