Be Careful What You Pray For...

“See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.”

-Isaiah 54:16a, NIV

Be careful what you pray for…

…as God might answer your prayer and grant it to you.

I prayed that God would use me. That God would make me into a tool fit for His service.

He put me into the fire of infidelity discovery and divorce. That time tested my “metal” and commitment to Christ. The dross was pounded out of me as the flames of life became hotter and hotter.

Just when I thought I could not take one more hammer blow, God pulled me from the fire and quenched me. His work was complete. I was complete. A weapon forged for His Gospel purposes.

God answered my prayer.

The ministry on this blog would not exist without that experience. I suspect I would not be a professional chaplain either apart from my forging experience. More importantly, I would not be able to preach the Gospel with such authority and power because I would not have had the experience of having to rely on God for my literal life.

God answers prayers.

Sometimes–probably often times–He does not answer those prayers in the way we expect. But one thing I love about God is that God does not waste any fire in our life.