Furnace Conduct. 2
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3. By not fainting. This is the other extreme which a suffering saint needs to guard against. When God's grace subdues our hearts from rising up in rebellion against the One who is righteously smiting us, there is ever a real danger of our spirits sinking into a state of despondency; therefore does our loving Father say, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him" (Heb. 12:5). Certainly the Lord is not glorified by us in the fires if we give way to a spirit of gloomy despair. Rather are we to diligently seek the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit that we may heed that exhortation, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14).
It is a great support to the Christian's heart to remember that the chastening rod is wielded by love (Heb. 12:6), and that God is as much our Father when He frowns as when He smiles, when He whips as when He embraces. God's strokes do not make void His promises, nor do they retract His pardon. Tribulation and trouble are no proofs of God's disfavor, but tokens of His faithfulness; therefore instead of doubting His goodness we should return thanks for His discipline.
The "all things" of Romans 8:28 as surely include the cloud and shadows, as the showers and sunshine; yes the immediate context treats directly of sufferings and sorrows! Then doubt not God's mercy, repine not at His providences, faint not under His rod; all will be well at the last!
4. By exercising faith. God's purpose in leading Israel through that "great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought," was that He might "humble" them, "prove" them, and do them "good" at their latter end" (Deut. 8:15, 16). God has promised to support His people under their trials (Deut. 33:27), to bring them safely through their afflictions (Isaiah 41:10), to turn all things to their advantage (Romans 8:28), and to "perfect" that which concerns them (Psalm 138:8). Then say with Job, "Though He slays me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15).
God disposes all things for the eternal welfare of His people. Do you answer, "But I am greatly afraid that I have provoked the Lord to leave me to myself"; even so, that word still stands good, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). We greatly glorify the Lord in the fires when we seek and obtain from the Holy Spirit that strengthening of faith which enables us to trust God "with all our hearts" and lean not unto our own understandings (Proverbs 3:5). Faith may be likened unto a life-belt; it is of little or no value unless it supports its possessor in the deep and dark waters. Faith does not make us impervious unto the chilliness of the waters; or, to change the figure, it does not make the furnace any cooler or more pleasant; but it does enable its favored possessor to say with Job, "When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). "The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10).
5. By perfect endurance. "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience" (James 5:10). The final words of that verse mean far more than the prophets meekly tolerated their sufferings; they signify that they also continued steadily in the path of duty. Now that so many are out of secular employment, they have more time for reading, meditation, and prayer, and unless they are giving themselves regularly unto these spiritual exercises, they are lamentably failing to heed that exhortation, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16). No matter how dark the outlook may appear to carnal reason, the Christian ought to ever say, "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise You more and more" (Psalm 71:14).
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12). To "endure" trials or temptations is to bear them patiently, and with constancy go through all difficulties in the way of duty. The word "tried" here signifies approved as in Romans 14:18, 1 Corinthians 11:19: there must be testings to make evident the integrity of our profession and to make manifest the genuiness of our graces. Thus there is a needs-be for the furnace (cf. 1 Peter 1:7). Then let us seek grace to heed that word "In your patience possess you your souls" (Luke 21:19).
6. By thanksgiving and praise. "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:20). Be thankful things are not worse. Be thankful that if the Lord be our shepherd we shall not lack any good thing (Psalm 23:1). Be thankful that our trials are only for a comparatively brief moment, whereas the sufferings of the wicked will last for all eternity. "We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:" (Romans 5:3, 4). But what is there in "tribulations" which can afford ground for "glorifying"? This: they furnish an opportunity for faith, hope, love, to be exercised. They supply occasion for God to manifest His unchanging faithfulness. They bring spiritual blessing to the soul.
We recently received a letter which touchingly illustrated this 6th point. While on the foreign field a missionary's wife was taken ill, and ordered back. On arriving home she was operated upon, to find a terrible cancer in an advanced stage, the doctors pronouncing "No hope." Her stricken husband wrote, "This was a terrible announcement to me at first, but the Lord has given grace to bear it, and I trust that I shall be able to sincerely say—not that I put up with His will, but that I rejoice in it"!
7. By cheerfulness. God is greatly glorified when His people preserve a bright countenance before the world, and by their demeanor give evidence that they have a source of peace and joy which others are strangers to: this is something which speaks much more forcibly than any sermons we preach with our lips! "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Yes, we may honor or dishonor God by the very expressions on our faces! Ponder the principle enunciated in Matthew 7:17, 18: "Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." "They looked unto Him, and were lightened—and their faces were not ashamed" (Psalm 34:5).
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