GOD'S WAY TO STRENGTH AND STATURE
Scripture: COLOSSIANS 2:9-10, GALATIANS 2:20, HEBREWS 11:6, HEBREWS 12:4-12, ISAIAH 48:10, JAMES 1:2-4, JOHN 12:24, JOHN 15:5, JONAH 1:1-5, JONAH 1:11-17, JONAH 3:1-5, MATTHEW 5:3, MATTHEW 5:5-6, MATTHEW 26:31-35, PHILIPPIANS 2:5-6
God's Way to Strength and Stature
Rick Ferguson
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Question: Is it possible that God could ever cause one of His children, whom He loves dearly, to go through pain, suffering and hardship?
Is God ever the author of our problems?
The answer is certainly YES!
For you see, God works in our lives in the same way:
1) A lapidary carefully studies a diamond and analyzes it's every angle and fracture. And then he carefully chisels and cuts and polishes so that what was once a rough rock can be turned into a dazzling jewel!
2) A refiner takes rough ore and heats it until he burns away all the dross so all that is left is pure gold or pure silver.
3) A metal polisher takes a dull piece of silver and polishes it by using abrasion and rubbing furiously until the silver shines like a mirror and the master craftsman can see his own image clearly reflected in the silver.
This is exactly what God is accomplishing in all our lives. He is working and refining and polishing until He can see His own image clearly reflected in each of us!
Sometimes the process is painful as God hammers and chisels and heats and polishes our lives. But He knows exactly what He is doing and He is always, always, always in full control of the process...even when it is painful!
I am calling the process BROKENNESS:
1) Brokenness is God's way of dealing with the "self-life" in each one of us.
2) Brokenness is the process by which God brings us to the end of ourselves and into total love, trust and dependence upon Him.
3) Brokenness is God's way to true strength and stature.
4) Brokenness is God's instrument to refine us and release His life in us.
*God refines us through brokenness.
God said to Israel in Isaiah 48:10 " See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."
1 Peter 1:6-7
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in ...
Rick Ferguson
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Question: Is it possible that God could ever cause one of His children, whom He loves dearly, to go through pain, suffering and hardship?
Is God ever the author of our problems?
The answer is certainly YES!
For you see, God works in our lives in the same way:
1) A lapidary carefully studies a diamond and analyzes it's every angle and fracture. And then he carefully chisels and cuts and polishes so that what was once a rough rock can be turned into a dazzling jewel!
2) A refiner takes rough ore and heats it until he burns away all the dross so all that is left is pure gold or pure silver.
3) A metal polisher takes a dull piece of silver and polishes it by using abrasion and rubbing furiously until the silver shines like a mirror and the master craftsman can see his own image clearly reflected in the silver.
This is exactly what God is accomplishing in all our lives. He is working and refining and polishing until He can see His own image clearly reflected in each of us!
Sometimes the process is painful as God hammers and chisels and heats and polishes our lives. But He knows exactly what He is doing and He is always, always, always in full control of the process...even when it is painful!
I am calling the process BROKENNESS:
1) Brokenness is God's way of dealing with the "self-life" in each one of us.
2) Brokenness is the process by which God brings us to the end of ourselves and into total love, trust and dependence upon Him.
3) Brokenness is God's way to true strength and stature.
4) Brokenness is God's instrument to refine us and release His life in us.
*God refines us through brokenness.
God said to Israel in Isaiah 48:10 " See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."
1 Peter 1:6-7
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in ...
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