refined in the fire

1 Peter 4:12-19

Baskins Creek Trail, Gatlinburg, TN

My family recently visited Gatlinburg, TN for a soccer tournament in which both of my boys competed. Of all our travel sports’ destinations thus far, this is one of my favorites, not so much because of the tourist-laden strip of downtown Gatlinburg, but because the Smoky Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to the games. The majestic presence of the mountains somehow infuses a crazy weekend with a sense of peace.

My favorite type of entertainment is that of the free and natural variety, and the Smokies do not disappoint! Despite legs that were laden with lactic acid from several intense games, my athletic boys were determined to embark upon a hiking adventure before we traveled home, so we decided to explore Baskins Creek Trail.

If you look closely at the photograph above, you’ll notice that this is not a typical image of late winter in the mountains. We were trekking through a burned-out forest, courtesy of the tragic 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires. In late November 2016, destruction paved a way through the national park. The fires, fed by extremely dry conditions and incredible wind, engulfed over 10,000 acres, claimed 14 lives, and injured close to 200 more. The devastation is difficult to comprehend.

You likely look at the photo and think the scenery is rather ugly, but I thank God for the beauty that we found there among the charred remains of trees. The green you see is 5 years of rebirth and regrowth. The new trees are still saplings, and it will take decades, if not centuries, for the forest to be rejuvenated. As I took in the beauty around me, I understood that greater beauty is yet to come—in God’s time. It was a vivid reminder that God brings beauty out of ashes, in both the physical realm as well as the spiritual, but the fullness of that beauty takes time.

Look at 1 Pet. 4:12-19. This section opens with the words, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” If we look back at the prophet Isaiah’s words to Israel, we can more fully understand what Peter was saying to the early believers about suffering. Isaiah speaks for God when he says, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction” (Is. 48:10).

Suffering is complex. It can be a direct result of our own sin or the sin of others, but oftentimes it seems arbitrary, without rhyme or reason. Simply put (for a topic that is anything but simple), suffering exists because we live in a broken world, and much of the suffering we will endure in our lifetime has nothing to do with our own behavior and everything to do with the curse that has burdened mankind since the Fall.

And yet, no suffering is for naught. The Lord uses it all, and it is in those moments of deepest pain that we sometimes feel His presence most profoundly. Prov. 25:4 says, “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel.” For those of you who are as unfamiliar with metal-working as I am, I’ll provide you with a brief lesson on the refining process. In its natural state, silver is typically combined with other metals, such as copper or lead, in what is called an alloy. Depending on the specific alloy present, various refining processes exist for purification, and they typically involve heating the metal past its melting point and separating the components. The unwanted material that forms on the surface of the molten metal is called dross.

God does some of His greatest work in our lives during periods of suffering. In my personal seasons of suffering, the Lord has worked to remove the dross of pride, arrogance, impatience and self-sufficiency. I still have a long way to go and will not be perfectly purified from those sins on this side of heaven, but I thank Him for how He is reshaping my heart.

I praise Him with the psalmist, “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried…yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance” (Ps. 66:10-12). The perfect place of abundance is with the Lord, but until that day comes when I finally have the opportunity to gaze upon His face, I am content with the abundance He provides here on this earth—family, friends, community, laughter, love, and the beauty of His creation surrounding us all.

If you are in a season of suffering, I pray you keep lifting your eyes to the One who loves you boundlessly. I promise you that there is purpose in your life. Look back at that passage from 1 Pet. 4. Verse 19 encourages us, “let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Allow me to draw your eyes to the word entrust. When we find ourselves in any difficult circumstance, whether it be a disagreement with a co-worker or the death of a loved one, we must entrust our souls to our great God. But how in the world do we do that?

For starters, we trust the words of the Bible inspired by the Lord Himself. We trust that God is the Creator who spoke everything from nothing, who created us from the dust of the earth out of His sheer goodness and knows every hair on our heads. We trust that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28), even when it seems absolutely impossible that your son’s death or your breast cancer or your bipolar disorder or your job loss or your paralysis or your ­­___________ [insert any personal heart-wrenching circumstance] could ever result in your good. Even when these awful realities of life pummel us with the force of a freight train—even then—we trust Him.

I do not say this lightly, and I do not pretend to understand the ways of God (Isaiah 55:8-9), but He has given us His Word and tells us that we can trust Him. We trust that He is in control, and we cannot ever be snatched from His hand (John 10:29). In Him we are absolutely, unequivocally safe, even in the valley of the shadow of death. As Jesus said to his disciples shortly before His death, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Refining takes time, but there is beauty in the process and beauty in the future. Just as the evergreens along Baskins Creek Trail are still saplings that need years to grow to maturity, you are a precious vessel that the Lord is crafting with great care. You will be restored, and out of the ashes, you will rise to bring Him glory.