Horatio Spafford penned the words to the famous words “It Is Well with My Soul” after losing his four daughters after the SS Vile du Havre collided with the Loch Earn at sea. All four of Spafford’s died but his wife survived. In one of the greatest trials of Spafford’s life, he showed faith. He had the right to be angry and curse God. Like Job, he did not. Showing faith in the heart of the valley is one of the hardest things to do. You wonder “is God punishing me?” or “does God even hear me when I pray to Him?” I find myself wondering these things when I am struggling. It is part of our flesh as humans. The question arises “how do we show faith in times of trials?” Are we just supposed to just suffer for however long the season is and then when we climb out of the valley, say “well, I am glad that is over” and then continue with our lives? Our faith in God is so much more than this. Jesus calls us and says “My child, I love you. I am making all things work together for your good.” The point I am trying to make is this: God is at work even when we cannot see it. Trials are like the refining process of gold. The refiner takes the impure pieces of gold and breaks them up. After this is done, the refiner takes the pieces and puts them in the furnace. After a certain period of time, the refiner pulls the pieces out and wipes off what is known as impurities. The pieces are then put back into the furnace and the refiner turns the heat up a little hotter each time. This process is repeated over and over again until the gold is deemed “pure.” The process of refining gold is what God is doing to us. God, who is the refiner puts us in the furnace with the fire, which represents trials, and allows us to heat up per say. We stay in the fire for a certain period of time. God then takes us out of the fire and wipes the impurities off. He does this over and over until we are a “pure” image of Him. God is always standing by the furnace. The Bible says Jesus “sits as the refiner and purifier of gold.” Jesus is the purifier of us and He died on the cross to take away our sins and impurities. To look like Jesus should be our prayer. Proverbs 17:3 says “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.” God is making us into his image because he wants us to be and look like Him. In the book of John, Jesus says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Faith in trials is what Jesus calls us to have. Jesus overcame the world and He is in control. He says to have faith in Him for He is the Creator, Master, Teacher, and Lover of souls. He died for us and He is coming back. My prayer is we remember this. No matter what we go through, Jesus holds us and our future. So when the trials come, don’t ask why. Call on God to strengthen you, walk with you, and give you faith to say “I will praise you God if you take me around this storm. And I will praise you God if you take me through this storm because I know You are with me.” God loves us. Jesus will strengthen us. With this, we can say “it is well with my soul.”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
