Recently my grandfather and I visited the glass shop in Greenfield Village. While we watched the craftsman at work, we saw how he fashioned the glass, until he had exactly the shape he wanted. Then the craftsman would take the glass and put it into the furnace (left). Sometimes the furnace temperatures will reach 1,600 F! Other times the craftsman would let the glass cool down.
When I thought about the craftsman/glass scenario later, I marveled on how close this story parallels our spiritual experience.
Similar to the potter and the clay, God is our Master Craftsman. We are His unfinished work. The Master Craftsman has a unique plan for each of our lives, and we need to let Him work on us, to mold us.
Sometimes in God's plan he sees that it is best for us to go into the furnace, maybe even up to 1,600 F. In other words, God's furnace is our varied trials. We may not like it, but we need to remember that God's plan is always best, and to trust Him with our lives.
"Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." ~James 1:2,3
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