Fred's Furnace, Part 1
This Week's Theme: Surviving Storms
Harold J. Sala
Thursday, December 14, 2000
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah:48:10).
Bonus Reading:Romans:8:17-23
When I asked Fred Whiteman how old he was, he replied "I'm 47 on the outside, 31 on the inside. I've had more trouble than most senior citizens, and I still look at life through the eye of a child."
What kind of an answer was that? Chronologically, Fred has seen 47 birthdays. Within his chest cavity beats the heart of a man 31 years oldthe result of having had a heart transplant. And within a six-month period, Fred lost his best friend from liver cancer, his mother died, and his wife died, having gone to work perfectly healthy one morning and dying later that day in a freakish accident. In addition, Fred's heart failed him; and even then, following a successful heart transplant, Fred faced surgery for cancer, as well as being sued by the bank where his wife had worked! And all of this happened to one man in a period of months.
Has all this left Fred bitter and cynical? Not at all. But you sense you're talking to a man who has nothing to fear from life because he's faced its bitter challenge and found God's strength to meet the challenge. Anyone who faces the fire as he has either comes through refined or burned up by the heat.
Harold J. Sala in Heroes Respond:
What's the key to being refined rather than burned up? Thought to Apply:
There's nothing written in the Bible
that says if you believe in Me, you ain't going to have no troubles.
Ray Charles (musician)
Adapted from: Heroes (Promise, 1998).
NOTE: For your convenience, Heroes is available in the ChristianityToday.com Shopping Channel.
Men of Integrity
Connect with God | Transform my Mind | Live by His Power
Relate Better | Make an Impact
Home | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Try an Issue of Men of Integrity
Free!
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Men of Integrity as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
share this page
RSS Feed
