Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of http://www.tumblr.com.) When Jacob's descendants were enslaved by the Egyptians, some might have said that God was to blame for their misfortune, perhaps even that He had forsaken them. When Babylon rose against Israel and took thousands captive, some might question whether or not God was really capable of being 100% reliable and trustworthy. When the apostle Paul was stoned by an angry mob after preaching the Gospel and drug out of the city left for dead, some might have asked God why He let that happen to a man who was obeying Jesus' command to preach the Gospel. When the Kentucky county clerk was put in prison for not signing a same-sex marriage license, some probably questioned if God was as strong as He claimed to be. After all, does God really lose battles like that?

(Image courtesy of http://www.elliotpaulstern.files.wordpress.com.) Last week I felt like I was being drug through the mud, scraped through the briers, and ripped through a tree shredder.  That's sometimes what it feels like to be refined by fire or sharpened by iron.  But the end result is a purer and more refined Christian.