Proverbs 17. Verse 3 says, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” Wow, what a profound verse! I love the comparison between crucible and furnace and God’s test on our heart.
A crucible is a cup shaped tool used to heat things to high temperatures. Silver placed in a crucible and heated will burn out all of the impurities (contaminants) and leave behind purer silver. A furnace, like a crucible, is a contraption of high heat that can heat gold to extreme temperatures where everything that is not gold (impurities) burn up, leaving behind purer gold. These comparisons to God’s test on our hearts cannot go unnoticed.
We all seek a higher purpose, a grand revelation in our lives, a reason for being. Many (wise people) seek God’s plan for their lives and pray (ask) for that higher purpose. But most are ill-equipped or unwilling to go through the steps necessary to achieve that purpose. To prepare us for His purpose, we must first go through the furnace of God, to burn out the impurities and forge a purer heart to achieve His will. Here is where a problem arises, we are either unwilling to go into the furnace or get burned up in the process (quit before being purified).
If we’re honest, no one likes hard times or extremely rough challenges. If gold and silver were living beings, do you really think they would want to go through the flames to be better for it? However, as we see in the comparison, gold and silver can’t be their best until they are first purged of impurities by the heat. Therefore, we too must “face the furnace” to be the very best we can be. You wouldn’t choose inferior, impure metals for a masterpiece, nor would you choose a person with an unfit heart for a grand purpose. But what we have to remember is that the furnace (trials) are temporary and are there to make us stronger, to help us be the very best we can be; to make us usable by God for His purpose, not our own.
So, even if we don’t like the situations we’re in, we can have hope and praise God that He is in control; He will help us endure, we can draw strength from Him. So, when we emerge from the furnace of trials, our hearts are purged of impurities and we are equipped and prepared to serve our purpose in God’s great plan.
Thank you Lord for loving me enough to forge me, to care enough to test and cleanse me, to include me in Your plans and equip me to do Your will. Please, give me the courage, hope and endurance to last in the furnace, so You can strengthen me to do Your will and bring You glory.
A crucible is a cup shaped tool used to heat things to high temperatures. Silver placed in a crucible and heated will burn out all of the impurities (contaminants) and leave behind purer silver. A furnace, like a crucible, is a contraption of high heat that can heat gold to extreme temperatures where everything that is not gold (impurities) burn up, leaving behind purer gold. These comparisons to God’s test on our hearts cannot go unnoticed.
We all seek a higher purpose, a grand revelation in our lives, a reason for being. Many (wise people) seek God’s plan for their lives and pray (ask) for that higher purpose. But most are ill-equipped or unwilling to go through the steps necessary to achieve that purpose. To prepare us for His purpose, we must first go through the furnace of God, to burn out the impurities and forge a purer heart to achieve His will. Here is where a problem arises, we are either unwilling to go into the furnace or get burned up in the process (quit before being purified).
If we’re honest, no one likes hard times or extremely rough challenges. If gold and silver were living beings, do you really think they would want to go through the flames to be better for it? However, as we see in the comparison, gold and silver can’t be their best until they are first purged of impurities by the heat. Therefore, we too must “face the furnace” to be the very best we can be. You wouldn’t choose inferior, impure metals for a masterpiece, nor would you choose a person with an unfit heart for a grand purpose. But what we have to remember is that the furnace (trials) are temporary and are there to make us stronger, to help us be the very best we can be; to make us usable by God for His purpose, not our own.
So, even if we don’t like the situations we’re in, we can have hope and praise God that He is in control; He will help us endure, we can draw strength from Him. So, when we emerge from the furnace of trials, our hearts are purged of impurities and we are equipped and prepared to serve our purpose in God’s great plan.
Thank you Lord for loving me enough to forge me, to care enough to test and cleanse me, to include me in Your plans and equip me to do Your will. Please, give me the courage, hope and endurance to last in the furnace, so You can strengthen me to do Your will and bring You glory.
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