For God’s Sake
“I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.”
Isaiah 48:10-11
Did you know that God has his own great name at stake in your suffering? He says in Isaiah 48, “I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, I do this.” Whoa, that’s quite something for God to do that; the cosmic stakes are riding on your response. Because your approach to suffering isn’t just for your spiritual benefit; God’s good name is on the line.
When God tests you, he has in mind to make himself look good through your response. How you trust him. How you value him above your discomfort. Now, it won’t make the pain go away, but it will help you remember that your trials are never random, and your pain is never arbitrary. The way you’ve leaned on God through your dark times will be a story retold through the ages. And with every telling, God will get the glory.
