WASTED EFFORT?

WASTED EFFORT?              Saturday June 27, 2015

Text: Isaiah 48:9 – 15              Memory verse: v 10

Refining brings out the best of any product. Gold comes out better when refined in fire. Crude oil will remain irrelevant until it is refined and products like gas, petrol, diesel, engine oil, kerosene, etc, come forth. However, it will be a wasted effort if you refine crude oil and these products didn’t come out. God laments efforts He made refining His people which didn’t yield any fruit. He proposed to deliver and restore them for His name sake (Isaiah 48:9, 11). They chose to worship idol. This is robbing Peter to pay Paul. God gave them life and instead of appreciating that, they were enticed by the idolatrous life of their neighbours. God had to test them by allowing their neighbours to take them as captives. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. We do same at times by refusing God’s grace.      

The Israelites sinned and refused to repent. We may not have sinned but God allows us to pass through some refining. Do we easily complain when our lives become complicated or difficult: why would a loving God allow all kinds of unpleasant experiences to come to us? God tests us in the ‘furnace of suffering.’ Instead of complaining, we should turn to Him in faith for the strength to endure and rejoice in our sufferings (see Romans 5:3; James 1:2- 4). For without the testing, we would never know what we are capable of doing and will not grow to become like Christ.

Food for Thought: It is when grapes are crushed they give out red wine.

Prayer: Lord, as you refine me, let it not be a wasted effort rather help me to pass through it and come out a better Christian in Jesus name.