Through the trials in your life, have you ever wondered, “What is God doing?” “How can something good come out of something so bad?”

I won’t lie. I have asked these questions. I want the trials in my life to be for something. I want them to glorify God. I want them to help others. Okay, I admit it—I want them to be for my good.

It has been a little hard at times to imagine how my chronic pain can help someone else when only those who experience chronic pain can understand it. How can my bouts with cancer  bring a good outcome? How can my parents’ illnesses and deaths glorify God? How can the deep betrayal by a close friend be a good thing? How can years of chaos dealing with parenting issues with my younger son glorify God? How can people see the glory of God in my life when they cannot truly understand the burden of my trials? You may have asked similar questions. I know you’ve probably had similar trials.

The answer to all these questions and more is “God.” He is the Master of making bad things good, of using the hard things in our lives to grow us to be more like Him. Somewhere during our anguish, we begin to realize that our tears alone in the night feel a lot like part of a journey to know Him at a whole new level. He is there. He comes alongside us as a loving Father and holds us in our lonely night.

In recent years seeking God’s blessings, I have prayed the Prayer of Jabez … Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory.” 1 Chronicles 4:10

What I have realized through praying this prayer and going through life is that, when God enlarges our territory, often He starts on the inside of us. When he answers the Jabez prayer, it can be painful. He starts by stretching us—growing our perseverance, growing our dependence on Him, growing our trust in Him. Often this process is not one anyone else besides God and you can see. Oh, but make no mistake, it is very real and hurts like the dickens. The more we go kicking and screaming, the more painful the process can be.

Malachi 3:2 says that the Lord is like a refiner’s fire. In His unfailing love, He longs to create something beautiful in us. The refiner’s fire is not a comfortable place to be though. It involves intense heat and repeated hammering. The fire separates the impurities and purifies. It melts down the bar of gold, takes out the imperfections that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves only the precious gold.

He is a careful craftsman, exact in His work. He might decide, “Not bad.” Then back in we go. Then more hammering. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Or, “We’re not.” Back in we go again. Our flesh screams out. Unfortunately, it may take many trips into the fire throughout our lives for Him to accomplish His work in us. We can only become all He has planned for us to be in His capable and loving hands. Thank God, His Word promises that when we walk through the fire, we will not be burned; the flames will not set us ablaze. Many of us spend lots of time in the fire, while He is working His will and creation in our lives. His goal is to make us like Him. Let’s face it, we all have a long way to go in that process.

But God never wastes a single hurt. He can turn it into His purpose. Through our trials and giving them over to Him, He can create in us a precious treasure that glorifies Him. He can create a caring tool that He can use to comfort and bless others. And what could be more for our good than that?

Dear Lord: Thank You that You never give up on us. You can turn our trials into triumphs and our tests into testimonies. We praise You for being with us through the fire while You do Your work in our lives.  You are there to dry our tears and carry us through each heartache. Help us to surrender to the work that You want to do in our lives and may it be used for Your glory and for helping others. Thank You that through Your Son Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we can be found flawless in the midst of our shortcomings. Take our hurts and use them for Your purposes. We love You, Father. Amen

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. Malachi 3:2

Has there been a time when you felt that God had you in the refiner’s fire? Please share your thoughts and experiences by replying below.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost. May God accomplish His good and perfect work in your life and in the lives of your family, and may He always carry you safely through the fire.