June 11, 2018

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO KEEP HIS NAME FROM BEING POLLUTED

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

God gives us great insight to the inner workings of His will. God says here, “I have refined thee”. God does not say damaged, broken, or ruined thee. God says, “refined”. Then God uses the term “furnace of affliction”. Now that sounds wonderful. We all have been there, haven’t we? Furnaces are restricting. Furnaces are full of heat. Furnaces are full of pressure. Furnaces burn. Furnaces melt whatever cannot stand up to the heat. Furnaces take the hardest materials and make them pliable. It is not like God surprises us with this. God does not sneak this on us. God tells us plainly, ‘I am going to refine you’. God lets us know it right from the beginning. Now we have already discussed the whole Potter/vessel scenario, but do not miss the point here. God says whatever I decide and whatever I do in the refining process, I do it for a reason. So, what are the reasons? God tells us in this passage.

1) TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN.
Verse eleven says, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it”. Whatever God does, He does it because He has a plan. God does not put us in a “furnace of affliction” just to make us “miserable”. God does it to make us “moldable”. Now I am no expert, but I have found that God is almost always doing one of three things to me. He is “changing me”, “strengthening me”, or “using me”. All three involve a furnace somewhere along the way.

2) TO PROTECT HIS NAME
“For how should my name be polluted?” Whatever God does, He will make sure that it does not bring dishonor to His name. God will not let anything pollute His name. God does not want us to pollute His name either. God wants us to represent Him in a clean, pure, holy manner. The furnace slowly burns away the dross, the bad habits, the bad attitudes, the bad actions.

3) TO MAKE SURE HE GETS THE GLORY
“I will not give my glory unto another.” You can take this to the bank. This is the main reason, the motivating force, and sole purpose of everything God allows or does. It is for God to get the glory. I may not know why God is doing or allowing the things that you may be going through in your life right now. You may be confused or frustrated or both. I do know that whatever God’s reason, there is one thing for sure. God wants the glory, and no matter what, eventually, God will get the glory. Remember:

* Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.