Proverbs 17.3
“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.”
When you are in the crucible—when you are in the furnace—when life presses on you and squeezes you, it reveals what you are made of. This is the “testing of your faith” that James 1 and Proverbs 17 refer to. When you squeeze an orange what comes out is orange juice …because that is what is inside. Same with an apple or any fruit. And so it is with us. When the difficulties of life squeeze us, what comes out is what is inside. Adversity reveals what we are made of.
Here is another key discipline we need for the crucible of adversity:
Don’t be resentful. Be thankful.
James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Every Christian is given a periodic “adversity test” that reveals the current status of their faith. When that happens to you, don’t be resentful … be thankful. Circumstances don’t make or break you. They simply reveal you.
Responding to difficult and adversity with “joy” is not natural. It is not what normal people do. When most people experience hardship, they are resentful, and their resentment is often directed toward God. This is the “Why me?” reaction, usually followed by “how could God allow this to happen?”
Committed Christians think differently. They see adversity differently. They respond differently. When a faithful follower of Jesus experiences adversity, they aren’t resentful, they are thankful. This is because committed Christians understand the nature of life in a broken world. They are aware of the nature of the mission. They know the Lord has saved them from the fallen world and then sent them back into the fallen world as his ambassadors.
Those who are truly and deeply committed to Christ understand that navigating adversity is part of the mission they are called to fulfill. Adversity and challenging situations are simply part of the assignment.
Authentic Christianity has a mindset similar to Navy SEALs. They train and prepare for how to respond to very difficult circumstances.
“Keep hold of instruction (musar); do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4.13)
This is a central theme that we saw in our study of the book of Proverbs. The Lord seeks to train us (musar) that we might gain the wisdom and skill (hokma) to navigate the situations of life. The benefits of being trained and prepared by the Lord’s wisdom become very evident when adversity strikes.
“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3.24-26)
The blessings of the Lord’s wisdom are safety, strength, and security. When we understand and align our lives with the physical and spiritual principles that God created, we will live with courage and confidence, not uncertainty and fear.
Read Proverbs 3.24 again and think deeply about what it says: “If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” That is the blessing of aligning your life with God’s truth. There are a lot of fearful, stressed-out people in the world today. There are many people suffering from anxiety and depression. Why? Because they have been pulled off-path and are out of alignment with the way God created them.
The Lord is calling.
