Behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 1 Nephi 20:10
Followers of Christ in all dispensations are no strangers to sorrow. They know pain and are well acquainted with affliction. The crucible of life gives us opportunities to become better or bitter, refined or rebellious, submissive or stiff-necked. The tempered steel of faith is forged in the flames of suffering. Ease does not call forth greatness or strength of commitment. When the fires of sickness, failure, disappointment, and even tragedy engulf us, if we are spiritually prepared, God’s peace can carry us through safely. That doesn’t mean we try to ignore the heartache or deny the reality of the pain. Rather, we take an authentic look at it, enlarging our perspective by believing that some good can come from crucible experiences. When they come—as they surely will—we can rise above them by setting our hearts on everlasting things. Isaiah promised, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles: (Isaiah 40:31)
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