The Furnace of Affliction: There is a Purpose
/We’ve all been there. In one capacity or another, we’ve experienced a time of affliction. But what we make of it is what truly matters. Do we sit down and have a pity party? Or do we pick ourselves up, hold our head high and keep looking forward?
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When I was asked to read my friend Horace Williams, Jr.’s new book The Furnace of Affliction, I did not realize what I was getting myself into. I was in the middle of my affliction; I was dealing with a loss of faith in God and feeling as if God had abandoned me.
While I was not in the middle of a pity party, I was in the middle of a mess. Honestly, I’m still there, but I’m taking steps to get out of it. While some claim it is easy to get out of a mess, it’s not. Once you’ve stepped into a muddy quagmire, it is hard to get your footing to climb out.
Horace uses his story of suffering a life-altering stroke at a young age to show how God uses situations to get us where He wants us.
If I had to use three words to describe The Furnace of Affliction they would be honest, humble, and truth. My friend Horace writes with such honesty while showing his humility and speaking truth. His words are as a soothing oil.
I’ll never forget hearing how the verses my husband quoted at his father’s funeral were a soothing oil. No matter what we are experiencing in life, we need a soothing oil to help ease the pain. Just like that day in 2005, reading this book was a soothing oil for me.
The Furnace of Affliction is easy to read and understand. It is full of gentle reminders of why we may be in a furnace of affliction and how we are to respond to it.
There is a purpose behind the furnace of affliction.
Sometimes we are the reason our life is a mess. Horace shares truths in how to know if we are the reason and what to do about it. He mentions three areas that could be a culprit.
Pride
Complaining
Selfishness
I don’t know about you, but I’ve dealt with some of these things.
Could they possibly be a reason I’m experiencing life as I know it right now?
Then, there are the other times God wants to grow us. Again, there are truths to ponder:
does our faith need strengthening
are we wearing a cloak of pride
are we using God’s grace as “fire insurance”
do we need reminding how God loves us
are we living in a way that gives God glory
My faith needs strengthening. And I need reminding God loves me. Is God trying to grow me in an area of my life?
Horace reminds the reader, “Each stage of our life has a purpose.” We can either wallow in self-pity or we can get up and make the best of each stage and live like we love the Lord and want to bring Him glory.
This season of my life; it has a purpose. I don’t know what that purpose is, but I know it has a purpose.
“It takes courageous faith to wait on God, especially during painfully confusing and difficult circumstances. When we are seeking to do His will, we might not understand why God’s schedule is not the same as ours. We wonder if He has forgotten about us and our situation. I assure you that this is not the case. God is concerned about every minute detail of our lives.”
If you or someone you know are in a Furnace of Affliction, this book is needed right now.
I received a free advanced copy of The Furnace of Affliction by the author in return for my honest opinion.
