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• MichelleJGoff
• refinedandredefined

Written by Michelle J. Goff

Isaiah 48 begins with the LORD’s reminder to Israel of all He has done in the past and how He has fulfilled His prophecies of old. Israel had become blind to all God had done. They were deaf to the LORD’s admonitions. And they were lame, attempting to walk in ways that God had not led them, especially in the following of idols.

Since none of that applies to us and I am never sarcastic (ha!), I will get straight to the point of how this particular chapter of Isaiah has taken on a very practical meaning for me, particularly verse 10.

Isaiah 48:1-8 is the rebuke.
Unfaithfulness to God and stubbornness characterize the description of Israel. Their worship of physical idols, cast from silver, was deplorable to God. Carved images were no match for the Sovereign LORD! Check out verse 5 (ESV):
I declared them to you from of old,
before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

Whew, it’s a good thing I haven’t carved any images lately! But how has my own unfaithfulness and stubbornness been revealed? Throughout 2020, maybe we clung to our well-planned calendars and our decorated planners. We might have thrown up our hands when we felt overwhelmed, stomped our feet in defiance of one more restriction placed on our freedoms, or lashed out in frustration when we lost control of what we were barely holding onto in the first place.

One of my idols was a measuring stick the size of an 11th commandment that I was expected to meet all expectations (stated or perceived), be whatever anyone needed in support, and bear the weight of responsibility for things that were never mine to bear. Gulp. Okay, I admit it. We do each have our idols…

But the LORD, the I AM, who is right there with us always, is not finished with the chapter.
Isaiah 48:9-11 is the grace.

God has had reason to be angry with me and my dysfunctional relationship with idols, but the middle section of this chapter is a tremendous demonstration of His love, grace, and patience, as a teacher and refiner.

“For my name's sake I defer my anger;
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another. (Is. 48:9-11, ESV)

The imagery in Malachi 3 has always come to mind when I think of a refiner and purifier of silver. I see God sitting by the fire waiting to see when all of my impurities have been burned away. A painful and lengthy process, it has given me hope when I feel like life is going up in flames. It is an illustration I have called to mind this year in light of my health struggles and a medical sabbatical.

And while 2020 has been that type of refiner’s fire for me, the silver, the refiner’s fire has a slightly different application from this text in Isaiah 48. Yes, we are being refined by the furnace of affliction, but it is in order that the fire reveal the true colors and the futility of the silver idols in our lives. The LORD makes a play on the imagery of the refiner’s fire that the Israelites had used to cast their silver idols to reiterate His sovereignty.

Yahweh, the I AM, the LORD God of Israel, our Heavenly Father is the one true God. Anything that we put in His place can be burned away through the furnace of affliction, if we let the Refiner do His work. Does God want us to go through that time of trial and affliction? No. But can He use it for good? Absolutely (Rom. 8:28)!

For me, the refiner’s fire of 2020 revealed some idols, burned off some impurities, and made me more malleable in order to be redefined by God. It has allowed me to accept the call that God offers throughout the rest of the chapter.

Isaiah 48:12-22 is the call to a redefined life.
Verse 17 in the NIV states,
Thus says the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who guides you in the way you should go.

Speak to us, LORD, especially the auditory learners.
Teach us LORD, some of us are visual and need to see it modeled.
Lead us LORD, the kinesthetic learners need to step it out.

No matter the specific calling the LORD is offering to redefine you, please join me in the struggle to allow Him to do His work. I often want to jump out of the fire. Some of my idols have defined me for so long, they are hard to let go of. We must let go of our previous definitions of who we were or what we were doing. We are His. Dying to self is crucial to being redefined. Thanks be to God for sending His Son who modeled this and makes it possible for us to unite with Him in the rebirth of being redefined!

If you have not been united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to receive a new life in Him, please contact us and we will put you in touch with someone in your area who can help you understand and accept this invitation from God.

If you are like me who accepted that invitation long ago, but has found herself in the furnace of affliction, with stubbornness like the Israelites’, or at whatever level of unfaithfulness… God offers us the grace to be redeemed, redefined, and made new in Him.

How has God walked with you through a furnace of affliction this past year? What idols has He burned off? What beauty has come out of the ashes? What good has come out of tragedy?

• 2020
• MichelleJGoff
• focusedontheWhole
• refining
• redefining

Written by Michelle J. Goff

Reflecting on the year 2020, some wince with pain, others retreat even deeper into their feelings of loneliness and isolation. While a few rejoiced in new birth, many mourned the passing of a loved one.
This global pandemic has brought us to our knees,
Yet God has met us there.

The best made plans were a reminder that we are not in control. Virtual gatherings replaced face-to-face encounters and creativity was required in order to find ways to stay connected.
Smiles were covered by masks until a distanced, outdoor gathering became feasible.
The global pandemic has revealed our true need for relationship,
But God knew this all along and sent His Son that we might find peace in true relationship with Him.

Dividing lines of politics, race, and mask-wearing have been drawn. Churches have split and elders have resigned, weary of standing in the gap or feeling forced to pick a side. Satan has picked at festering wounds of those drowning in hopelessness.
The global pandemic has highlighted some of our preexisting conditions,
Yet God, who is our hope, has redeemed and united us.

Time in prayer was extended as the prayer list grew. The Word became our Rock as uncertainty clouded our thinking. A play on words for teaching about 20/20 vision in the year 2020 became a real-life test of how we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
This global pandemic has challenged our view,
Yet God has remained faithful, never-changing, in control, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

It has not been all bad…
This global pandemic has provided new opportunities.
God has opened the door for virtual gatherings of Christians all over the world. Hunger for prayer and Bible study has grown, developing new friendships and connections, beyond what we could’ve originally designed.

What have you learned about God during this year?
What has the year 2020 revealed in you?
What do you want to leave in the past?
What do you take away from what you have learned moving forward?

Paul admonishes in Philippians 3:13-16, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

How can we hold true to what we have attained from 2020 in the new year?

This past year has been a refining process for everyone. And just as precious metals go through a refining process in order to be made into something new, our refining process allows us to be redefined by the Creator.

As we grow into our redefined identity in Christ, the continual process of transformation and sanctification allow us to rejoice in His mercies that are new every morning (Lam. 3:23).

For the year 2021, Iron Rose Sister Ministries will be focusing on what it means to be Redefined. Personally, the refining process of 2020 has facilitated many facets of being redefined by God. And as a ministry, we have been refined and look forward to some redefined roles among our staff and clarified vision in equipping women to connect to God and one another more deeply. God is truly “just getting started,” even after seven and a half years as a ministry! Stay tuned… And thanks for prayerfully walking with us on this journey. We look forward to hearing more of your stories of being redefined, as well.