HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GCH!!!
Today is the first day of our week long Anniversary celebration!! Want to enter our contest to win some fabulous prizes?? All you have to do is read the blog below, and then leave a comment about it! That’s it!!
Today’s Prize: A box of lovely goodies: “21 Days – Your Journey to Enjoying Everyday Life” by Joyce Meyer, a Coffee Mug by Dayspring (also includes a Gift Card to Dunkin’ Donuts), a book by Wendy Anderson Halperin titled “Love Is”, and a couple of extra little goodies that we will surprise you with!!
Only ONE WINNER will be chosen EACH DAY FROM May 6th to May 10th. DEADLINE FOR TODAY’S ENTRIES: 8PM Central Time Zone. Each day we will post a new prize!! ALL WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY, MAY 11th, ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE.
And now, onto today’s blog!
This week we begin learning what it takes to “forge a sword.” These are words that are not used often in our society. I had questions, so I did some research. The word forge is a verb for a process, much like the word mold is. The dictionary defines these words for us:
We are familiar with molds when we want to make uniform soaps, candles, and yes, CHOCOLATES. If you have attempted to make any of these items even once you will have learned some very important facts to make the end product the best it can be. The product has to be melted, or softened from its original form and poured into the mold to obtain the desired shape and size. But that is not enough. The mold has to be shaken, dropped on a table, etc., to remove all air bubbles from the finished product. These bubbles can cause the product to crack, fall apart and ruin the end result. If you have done everything exactly right, you will end up with many, many identical soaps, candles, and yes, fewer chocolates. 🙂
If you want to make soap, you melt and pour soap. If you want a candle, you melt and pour wax. If you want chocolate – well, you get the picture. When you forge something, you take separate metals, heat them to a molten liquid, burn off the impurities (anything that isn’t metal) and prepare to meld them into your final product. This intense heat leaves a liquid virtually free of imperfections and no “bubbles;” the original metal is not changed from what it originally was, but is so much more useful now. According to my research, forged products are 15% stronger than molded products.
By this time you are wondering what all this has to do with you, me, and our study. Did you know that the first mention of forging was in Genesis 4? There was a man who forged tools out of bronze and iron. The forge was used since the beginning of time to make useful tools and God uses that same process to make us useful in His Kingdom. The prophet Isaiah uses this terminology and applies it to the Christian walk as God’s plan for His people. Look at these verses in Isaiah 54 and see what God revealed to him about the people of Israel and later for you and me:
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.
14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.
16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
God has placed a protective covering over his people. A holy promise to protect, restore and vindicate any wrong done against us. He has forged us to be strong and durable and fit for our work here on earth.
This is the work God wants to forge in our hearts:
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:33 and 34
Jeremiah says that in the end, we will all know the Lord. Every one of us. If we have made the commitment to follow Jesus, it’s time to submit to the original Blacksmith and let Him forge you into the character He needs you to be.
Lisa says, “The process of making a sword is a whole lot like the process of making a life” (page 105). What kind of life do you want to be known for? I want to mix my life with God’s teaching and let Him make me what He needs me to be. How about you?
These truths are what God brings to the mixture to be forged. You and I have a choice to join Him and face the refining fire. Attacks are not fun. Pounding surely hurts and bruises. Fire is hot! Water is healing. Pressure makes us experienced and strong. Our finished product will be one strong, mighty warrior for the Kingdom of God. Prepare your heart for the truths coming at you this week. Do not be surprised if the fiery arrows increase. Smile…and purpose in your heart to become a stronger warrior and stand. God has promised the victorious ending. We get to watch it unfold around us.
Our song to start the week is from the Crabb Family and the Gaither’s: Through the Fire
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We praise Your name above all names. We thank You for loving us enough to want to forge us into a unique creation and not just a molded image like so many others. We want to be strong, we want to be taught, we want to endure until the end, we want to be victorious. Father, we submit our lives to the refining fire of Your love. Remove the impurities and make us strong. We want to be forever known as ONE with You. Let the forging begin and fit us for Your service. AMEN.
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If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page. Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details. We hope you will join us!
