I Even I Have Spoken: Rejoice Where You Grieve

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” 1Peter 1:6-8

See how the potter soaks and kneads the useless clay. What was once good for nothing, shapeless and tainted is now being cleaned, molded, and permanently formed.

See how the lapidary carefully aims his next strike at the dull chunk of rock knowing that with strike after well-placed strike, a brilliant diamond will emerge.

See how the goldsmith places the precious metal into scorching heat that forces it to crumble and lose its shape completely and every last impurity is pushed to the surface. Watch how glimmering gold emerges from the melting pot.

See how the Father carefully positions his children in places that melt, purify and form them into brilliant and useful objects of His glory. Kneading, striking, melting…

It is here in the furnaces of life that our Father continues to produce precious and priceless treasures. Each one of us faces self-searing heats and flesh-crushing circumstances. At times life can feel like one trial after another and yet… “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.”

Yes, rejoice dear sister. Rejoice in the moments that grief rises to the surface and once again another pounding blow is brought down upon your character. Rejoice in that prickling circumstance that forces your flesh to the surface and purifies the metal of your soul. Rejoice in the face of impossibility and hidden futures that cause your faith to grow. See the glimmer of growing grace that last time you were knocked was not so apparent. Rejoice that in this moment of grief you stand more sure and steady than in the last. The craftsman’s work is showing and you are becoming more like the precious treasure He intended. Rejoice in that grief. Smile in the face of that storm. Take delight in the character-shaping clobbering… because “the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Rejoice in the making of precious, precious faith.

What was once shapeless, filthy and good-for-nothing is becoming beautifully glorious. Where once your praise was weak and timid, there is now unashamed boldness and fleshless liberty. Where once you may have questioned the Father’s ability to see you through the impossible, precious faith remains. Next time the wind blows strong and the howling storm roars with intimidation, you are less fretful than the woman that once was and the metal of your soul is less likely to bend under the strain. Rejoice in the process that produces a treasure that is less of you and more of Christ. No work is more precious.

Oh, how I love that Craftsman and the tender hands with which He molds me. Never once has He bent me too far, nor struck me where I didn’t need it. Each movement is precise and purposeful with effects that reach far beyond my comprehension. Though the blows are grieving for a moment, in them I can rejoice, because I love and trust Him whom I have not seen. I love His tender mercies and I trust His artful hands. Though I “do not now see him,” I “believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,”

Listen to the Craftsman declare His glory –

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.” Isaiah 48:12–13

Did you see that? He cries “Attention” to the very stars themselves and they stand in line ready to obey His next command. What a mighty maker we belong to. Surely nothing is impossible to such a God! Can I not entrust my life to His star-instructing hands? The General of the Cosmos.

“I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.” Isaiah 48:15

“I even I”

See how God declares his greatness and points out how poignant it is that He called. “I even I.” This is no small or insignificant call. Our God who calls the solar systems to order, called Jacob and all of Israel. He reigns over the earth and the nations are as a drop in a bucket. This very same God calls you today to a “heavenly calling.” As adopted sons and daughters we possess more than even Jacob did! Yes, we will prosper in HIS way. In HIS way. Not my way. Not a way. HIS way. When you look up at the heavens tonight, remember that “His ways are higher.”

His way doesn’t mean no pain. His way doesn’t mean no heartache. His way doesn’t mean you get what you want. But frankly… your way doesn’t either. In fact, going your way guarantees disappointment and empty pursuits. God’s way is the only way in which you will truly “prosper” and the only avenue where precious faith is developed. Will we fight on the table of His craftsmanship or surrender to the tender, purposeful Hands of our Father?

To let go is to allow Him to bring strength, resilience, and beauty to your weakest and ugliest depths. The wisest and most spiritual among us are the women who admit without Him they’re weak, tainted, and worthless. These are the women who come out of the process stronger, brighter, and fiercely determined to keep letting Him mold them. Such people glimmer with His grace like pure gold.