There are times in our journey with Jesus that it will feel a little like we are walking in a furnace. We have times in our lives when affliction is all around us and we can't help but wonder to God, "Where are you?" Those are the times that I believe that God is saying, "Hold on just a little longer and you'll see why this must all happen this way."
I enjoy coffee. Most of my coffee drinking experience has been just drinking whatever kind of coffee was available and doctoring it up with plenty of cream and sugar. But, the more I drink coffee the more I've come to realize that good coffee doesn't need much of anything added to it. My husband grinds his own coffee beans and when I drink that coffee I only need 2 teaspoons of sugar and I'm good to go. But, when I drink my regular off brand decaf bargain bin coffee it needs quite a bit more help. I put sugar, a little more than 2 teaspoons, and creamer. The creamer is sweetened and flavored. My coffee is more cream than it is coffee. All of that to say that the quality of the coffee matters when you are drinking it. And, the quality is greatly determined, not only by the bean, but also by the roasting process. The beans are literally set on fire to bring out the best aromas and flavors that are locked inside the bean. You should check out this video on How Coffee is Made. So Cool!! 👍
This all got me to thinking about how we are testing in the fire of life and God uses that to refine us into something better than we could ever have imagined.
Isaiah 48:10 says that God has tested us in the furnace of affliction. How crazy is that? When the Bible speaks about refining fires, it talks mostly about the fire that was used to heat gold and silver to get the very best most pure metal in the end product. We don't necessarily think a lot about gold and silver on a daily basis, but in America we know coffee. 64% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day. And, we consume about 140 billion cups per year.** WOW 👀, that's a lot of coffee. So I thought about those refining fires related to our favorite energy jolting drink: coffee.
God uses affliction to burn out the stuff in our life that keeps us from the purpose he has for us in His kingdom. And it takes away all the stuff that isn't who we truly are and who God made us to be. When we face hard times, that's when we can either lean on God and grow into who He created us to be, or we can resist and become bitter. Just like coffee. Good coffee that is roasted just right, when ground and turned into coffee drink is smooth and has hints of jasmine and fire. It isn’t bitter. Can we say the same for ourselves?
**https://myfriendscoffee.com/usa-coffee-statistics/
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