Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried and chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it [I refrain and do not utterly destroy you]; for why should I permit My name to be polluted and profaned [which it would be if the Lord completely destroyed His chosen people]? And I will not give My glory to another [by permitting the worshipers of idols to triumph over you]. (Amplified Bible)
“The world’s way is to choose the strongest, most talented individuals to accomplish tasks. In contrast, the Lord often selects the weakest, who have nothing to offer except total reliance upon Him. And this dependency is what characterizes the mature in faith.
Such maturity isn’t automatic. Our Father patiently meets people where they are, but lovingly refuses to let His children stagnate. Instead, He helps us to grow more and more like His Son (2 Cor. 3:18). As followers of Christ, we must let go of old ways, ideas, and motivations. The Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding and lets us see from God’s perspective.
Then, the Lord can build in us a dependence on Himself and a submission to His Spirit. Transformation is often gradual, but God sometimes will allow difficulty and pain to develop our reliance upon Him.
Consider biblical models of faith. Sarah and Abraham dealt with infertility for many years prior to receiving the promised child (Gen. 21:1-2). Joseph was sold into slavery and wrongly imprisoned before he spared his nation from the effects of famine (Gen. 45:5). In her new role as Jesus’ mother, Mary–who had been falsely regarded as an adulteress–followed God’s inconvenient command to flee areas of danger (Matt. 2:13, 22). These people all faced hardship and brokenness, which allowed them to recognize both their own inability and God’s ability.
What’s standing in your way of full submission to the Lord? His desire is to grow you into maturity so that in your weakness, He will be strong.” R1
R1 Taken from In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley/ Crosswalk
