"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters" (Song 2:1-2).
It never ceases to amaze me of the wonderful truths we found hidden in Scripture! I pray for a heart to glean God's mysteries. One such truth is regarding God's furnace. Yes, you read that correctly: His furnace! Did you know that His furnace is to be your friend?
Here, in the Song of Solomon, we find the blossoming bride in a valley. Yes.. a valley (Ps 23:4)! Soon after however, we see her bridegroom (Jesus) distinguishing her out from among her apathetic peers, the Daughters of Jerusalem: "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters!" But what could cause such? What could be the source of such a dramatic contrast as this, a lily among thorns? Reader, could it be the valley? Yes, I believe so. What men have avoided and shamed for centuries is actually God's road to a double portion! No wonder I am to befriend and embrace it!
As the prophet has said, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 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" (Isa 48:10-11). It seems that this "valley" or "furnace" is the very place God chooses His own. This tells us a very important truth: my response in the valley, and my response in the furnace is absolutely vital! For it is here that God makes His choices. Reader, your furnace will either make you a lily or it will make you a thorn, and thus your response is vastly important. Befriend this harsh wilderness? Embrace this beloved enemy? Yes! For this place is God's avenue to real fruitfulness (Song 6:11).
Finally, let's examine Job's life.. He is one of the most persecuted men in all of Scripture. But what was his response to such a valley? "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (Job 2:9-10). Even when his own wife counseled him to flee the furnace, Job remained true! Why so? Because Job knew that the furnace is God's avenue to real fruitfulness! The valley is God's choosing ground! He believed it to be absolute foolishness to jump out of the very thing God has ordained for his fruitfulness. Friends, if we could only endure the dealings of God (Heb 6:12-15)! If only we would listen to the counsel of Scripture and be "excercised" thereby (Heb 12:8-11)! If we could only stay and remain in the furnace, and let patience have her perfect work! What a people we would become! Oh the lily we'd too become!
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years" (Mal 3:2-4). It's only as we're purged from ALL of our evil influences that we can be offered "pleasant unto the Lord". Let's allow the fire of God to do it's job (Isa 40:4)! The furnace is my friend.
It never ceases to amaze me of the wonderful truths we found hidden in Scripture! I pray for a heart to glean God's mysteries. One such truth is regarding God's furnace. Yes, you read that correctly: His furnace! Did you know that His furnace is to be your friend?
Here, in the Song of Solomon, we find the blossoming bride in a valley. Yes.. a valley (Ps 23:4)! Soon after however, we see her bridegroom (Jesus) distinguishing her out from among her apathetic peers, the Daughters of Jerusalem: "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters!" But what could cause such? What could be the source of such a dramatic contrast as this, a lily among thorns? Reader, could it be the valley? Yes, I believe so. What men have avoided and shamed for centuries is actually God's road to a double portion! No wonder I am to befriend and embrace it!
As the prophet has said, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 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" (Isa 48:10-11). It seems that this "valley" or "furnace" is the very place God chooses His own. This tells us a very important truth: my response in the valley, and my response in the furnace is absolutely vital! For it is here that God makes His choices. Reader, your furnace will either make you a lily or it will make you a thorn, and thus your response is vastly important. Befriend this harsh wilderness? Embrace this beloved enemy? Yes! For this place is God's avenue to real fruitfulness (Song 6:11).
Finally, let's examine Job's life.. He is one of the most persecuted men in all of Scripture. But what was his response to such a valley? "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (Job 2:9-10). Even when his own wife counseled him to flee the furnace, Job remained true! Why so? Because Job knew that the furnace is God's avenue to real fruitfulness! The valley is God's choosing ground! He believed it to be absolute foolishness to jump out of the very thing God has ordained for his fruitfulness. Friends, if we could only endure the dealings of God (Heb 6:12-15)! If only we would listen to the counsel of Scripture and be "excercised" thereby (Heb 12:8-11)! If we could only stay and remain in the furnace, and let patience have her perfect work! What a people we would become! Oh the lily we'd too become!
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years" (Mal 3:2-4). It's only as we're purged from ALL of our evil influences that we can be offered "pleasant unto the Lord". Let's allow the fire of God to do it's job (Isa 40:4)! The furnace is my friend.
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