Refiners Fire

Refiner’s fire

They afflicted his feet with fetters,
He himself was laid with irons;
Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tested him
(Psalm 105:18-19 NASB)

Remember Young Joseph and his dreams from God. Its must have been very difficult for him to actually think that it would come to pass after surviving his brothers attempt to kill him and then being sold off as a slave. Furthermore being put to prison after his employer’s wife brought slanderous charges against him. I wonder how he could even think that his dreams would come true. The dream that showed him that he would rise to a place that even his family would bow to him.
The word of the Lord tested him. The Hebrew word used here speaks of refining metals to remove impurities, God was purging him.
This is how Gods word refines all of us through opposition, through discouragement. This purging gets rid of all our self-dependence so that our faith remains solely on God.
Breakthroughs are not instantaneous, instead they place us in the refiners fire, yet what Lords purpose is not to weaken us but to purify and abundantly bless us in the end.
See for yourself what happened with Joseph, what his brothers meant for evil God used it for his glory.

For you, O God, tested us;
You refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison
And laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and water,
But you brought us to a place of abundance
(Psalm 66:10-12)

So hold on to what God has said to you even though ten thousand voices tells you its useless, things may be difficult for the moment.
In just a while God will bring you into “ a place of abundance”