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FORGED FOR YOUR FUTURE ASSIGNMENT | Episode 10 (Finale) The Purpose of the Forge · PAMOJA PODCAST | PAMOJA MINISTRY, A LIFE OF CHRIST INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

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Welcome to Pomoja Podcast, the place where stronger
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lives are built, faith is strengthened, hearts
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are encouraged, and Christ -centered homes are
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shaped through ordinary conversations that become
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extraordinary encounters with God's truth. One
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conversation, one story, one revelation at a
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time. I'm your host, Barry Mwamba. As we arrive
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at the final conversation of this journey, I
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find myself looking back over everything we have
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discovered together. We have walked through prisons,
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wildernesses, palaces, Babylon, hidden years,
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failure, and finally, the cross. Each conversation
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revealed another part of God's heart. Each servant
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taught us something different. Joseph taught
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us that God can use injustice. Moses taught us
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that God can use waiting. Esther taught us that
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God prepares people long before they understand
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why they have been positioned where they are.
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Daniel taught us that God can prepare His servants
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even in environments trying to redefine them.
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Paul taught us that hidden years are often heaven's
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workshop. Peter taught us that failure surrendered
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to Christ can become another instrument in the
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Master's hands. Jesus showed us that the greatest
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apparent defeat became the greatest victory.
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in history. By now, one truth has become unmistakable.
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God never wastes the forge. But perhaps one question
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has remained quietly in the background throughout
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this entire series. Why? Why would a loving God
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choose this path so often? Why does he prepare
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his servants before revealing their assignment?
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Why the prison before the palace? Why the wilderness
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before the promised land? Why hidden years before
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influence? Why does God so often work in secret
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before he works in public? Today, I believe we
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finally answer that question. And I think the
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answer is both simpler and deeper than we imagined.
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Because I no longer believe that God's highest
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priority is preparing people for an assignment.
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I believe his highest priority is preparing people
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through the assignment to become more like his
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son. That changes everything. The assignment
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matters. The ministry matters. The influence
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matters. But none of those things are God's greatest
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purpose. God's greatest purpose has always been
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transformation. He is not simply preparing people
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to do great things. He is preparing people to
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become Christ -like. And perhaps that is why
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every forge in scripture has one thing in common.
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Every one of them leaves God's servant looking
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less like themselves and more like Christ. That
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is where we begin. As I have reflected on every
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servant we have studied throughout this series,
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one truth has become impossible for me to ignore.
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Although their stories are very different, although
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they lived in different generations, faced different
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enemies, and experienced different kinds of trials,
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they all arrived at exactly the same place. They
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stopped depending upon themselves. I find that
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fascinating because when we first meet many of
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these men and women, they are often full of strength,
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ability, dreams, intelligence. courage or confidence.
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None of those things are wrong in themselves.
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In fact, many of those qualities are gifts from
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God. Yet before God entrusts them with the full
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weight of their assignment, something always
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changes. Joseph enters the prison as a young
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man with dreams. He leaves the prison as a man
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who understands that interpretation belongs to
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God. Moses leaves Egypt believing he can deliver
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Israel through his own strength. 40 years later,
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he stands before the burning bush asking, who
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am I? The man who once acted without being sent
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now believes he is incapable of going unless
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God goes with him. David enters the wilderness
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carrying a promise. He leaves the wilderness
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understanding that becoming king depends entirely
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upon God's timing rather than his own ability.
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Esther walks into the palace as a young woman
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chosen for her beauty. She walks out willing
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to lay down her own life because she has discovered
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that her position was never about herself. Daniel
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begins his journey as a gifted young man. Years
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later, standing before kings, his confidence
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is no longer in his wisdom, but in the God who
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reveals mysteries. Paul arrives in Damascus convinced
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that he understands everything. The hidden years
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teach him that knowing Christ is infinitely greater
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than everything he once considered gain. Peter
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enters the courtyard believing that his devotion
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will never fail. He leaves the Sea of Galilee
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knowing that apart from Christ he can do nothing.
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Do you see the pattern? Different stories. Different
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journeys. The same lesson. God was gently removing
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every foundation upon which they could have built
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their confidence apart from him. That is not
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because God delights in breaking people. It is
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because he loves them too much to allow them
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to carry an assignment with a foundation that
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cannot sustain it. I have often wondered why
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God does not simply entrust people with great
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responsibility the moment he calls them. Perhaps
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it is because influence has a way of exposing
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whatever still lives inside the human heart.
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If pride remains, influence magnifies it. If
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self -reliance remains, responsibility reveals
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it. If the desire for recognition remains, success
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feeds it. The forge becomes the place where God
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lovingly removes everything that would eventually
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destroy the very servant he intends to use. When
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I think about that, I realize the forge has never
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been punishment. It has always been protection.
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God was protecting Joseph from becoming an arrogant
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ruler. He was protecting Moses from leading in
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his own strength. He was protecting David from
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confusing the throne with entitlement. He was
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protecting Peter from believing that ministry
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depended upon Peter, and perhaps he is protecting
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us in ways we do not yet understand. Sometimes
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we ask God to remove the fire because we cannot
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see what he is accomplishing within it. Yet God,
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who sees the end from the beginning, knows exactly
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what kind of servant will be needed for the assignment
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he has already prepared. That is why humility
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is never an accident. It is forged. Dependence
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upon God is never automatic. It is forged. A
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heart that genuinely says, Lord, without you
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I can do nothing, is rarely formed in comfort
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alone. More often, it is formed in the very seasons
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we would have preferred to avoid. Looking back
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now, I think the forge was never teaching these
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servants how strong they were. It was teaching
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them how faithful God is. And perhaps that is
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the first and greatest purpose of every forge,
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not to convince us that we are capable, but to
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bring us to the joyful realization that God is
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sufficient. If the forge teaches us to depend
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upon God rather than ourselves, then another
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question naturally follows. What kind of person
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emerges from that process? Because God is not
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only removing pride, He is building something
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new, something that cannot be produced by talent,
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education, experience, or natural ability alone.
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He is shaping the character of Christ, and perhaps
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that is the greatest work he accomplishes before
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he ever entrusts an assignment. As I continue
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reflecting on God's pattern throughout Scripture,
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I have become convinced that the greatest miracle
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of the forge is not that it changes our circumstances.
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The greatest miracle is that it changes us. We
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often ask God to change the situation around
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us while God is patiently working to change the
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person within us. Perhaps that explains why two
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people can walk through the same trial and emerge
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completely different. One becomes bitter. The
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other becomes compassionate. One loses hope.
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The other grows in faith. One turns away from
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God. The other discovers a deeper intimacy with
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Him than ever before. The difference is not always
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the fire. The difference is what the fire is
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producing. That is exactly what Paul teaches
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us in Romans when he writes that those whom God
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foreknew He also predestined to be conformed
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to the image of his son. I have read that verse
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many times, but during this series, it has taken
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on an entirely new meaning for me. Notice what
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Paul does not say. He does not say that God's
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highest purpose is to make us successful. He
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does not say that God's highest purpose is to
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make us wealthy. He does not say that God's highest
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purpose is to make us influential or admired
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by people. God's eternal purpose is to make us
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look more like Jesus. That changes the way we
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understand every season of life. If Christ is
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the destination, then every forge becomes part
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of the journey. Every disappointment has meaning.
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Every delay has meaning. Every unanswered prayer
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has meaning. Every season of waiting has meaning
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not because God enjoys watching his children
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struggle But because he sees something we cannot
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yet see He sees the finished work. He sees the
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servant after the forge has accomplished its
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purpose When I look back at Joseph, I no longer
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see only a prisoner becoming a ruler I see a
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young man learning forgiveness before receiving
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power. Had Joseph reached the throne without
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first learning to forgive, he may have used his
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authority to take revenge instead of preserving
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life. When I look at Moses, I no longer see only
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a shepherd becoming a deliverer. I see an impulsive
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man becoming patient enough to lead millions
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through a wilderness. When I look at David, I
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no longer see only a shepherd becoming a king.
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I see a man whose years of waiting taught him
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to trust God's timing instead of forcing God's
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promises. When I look at Peter, I no longer see
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only a disciple restored after failure. I see
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a proud man becoming a humble shepherd whose
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greatest confidence rested in the grace of Christ
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rather than in his own strength. Every forge
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was shaping the character required for the assignment,
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and that pattern has never changed. Sometimes
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we pray, Lord, make me useful. God answers first.
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Let me make you like my son. Sometimes we ask
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for greater influence. God begins working on
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our humility. Sometimes we ask for open doors.
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God begins working on our patience. Sometimes
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we ask for promotion. God begins teaching us
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faithfulness in places no one else notices. Why?
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Because God understands something we often forget.
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Character carries an assignment farther than
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talent ever will. Gifts may open doors. Knowledge
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may create opportunities. Natural ability may
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attract attention. But only Christ -like character
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can sustain what God entrusts into our hands.
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That is why the forge cannot be rushed. Steel
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is not shaped in a moment. Gold is not refined
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in an instant. Neither are servants of God. The
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forge takes time because transformation takes
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time. Looking back over every conversation we
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have shared in this series, I now realize that
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God was never primarily preparing Joseph for
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Egypt. He was preparing Joseph to represent God's
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heart in Egypt. He was never primarily preparing
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Moses to confront Pharaoh. He was preparing Moses
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to reveal God's character before Israel. He was
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never primarily preparing Esther to stand before
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the king. He was preparing Esther to display
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sacrificial courage. He was never primarily preparing
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Peter to preach at Pentecost. He was preparing
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Peter to shepherd God's people with humility
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and grace. The assignment was always important,
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but the servant was always God's first priority.
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Perhaps that is why heaven is never in a hurry.
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God measures success differently than we do.
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We count followers. God forms disciples. We celebrate
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platforms. God develops character. We admire
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public influence. God rejoices when Christ is
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being formed within us. And when Christ becomes
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the deepest work of our lives, every forge begins
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to make sense. If the forge teaches us dependence
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upon God, and if the forge shapes us into the
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likeness of Christ, then one final question remains.
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Why does God entrust an assignment only after
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this work has begun? Because there is one last
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purpose of the forge that brings this entire
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series together. God is not simply preparing
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us to finish a mission. He is preparing us to
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leave a legacy that reflects His glory. And that
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is where we bring this journey to its final conclusion.
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As I have reflected on everything we have discovered
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together throughout this journey, I have come
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to realize that perhaps one of the greatest misunderstandings
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among believers is the way we think about God's
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assignments. We often imagine that the assignment
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is the destination, that once God finally opens
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the door, promotes us, answers our prayers, or
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fulfills the promise He spoke over our lives.
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His work is complete. Yet when I look at scripture,
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I see something entirely different. The assignment
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is never the end of God's work. It is simply
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another stage in his work. That changes the way
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I read the lives of every servant we have studied.
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Joseph's story did not end when he became governor
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of Egypt. In many ways, his greatest test began
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after he received authority. It is one thing
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to remain faithful while sitting in a prison
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with nothing to lose. It is something entirely
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different to remain humble when the entire nation
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bows before you. The throne was never Joseph's
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reward for surviving the prison. It became the
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place where everything the prison had produced
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inside him would finally be revealed. The same
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pattern appears in Moses' life. We often think
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the wilderness ended when he stood before Pharaoh,
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but in reality, the wilderness continued while
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he was leading millions of people through another
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wilderness. Every complaint, every act of rebellion,
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every difficult decision became another opportunity
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for God to continue shaping his servant. The
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assignment did not replace the forge. The assignment
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became part of the forge. The same is true of
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David. Becoming king did not eliminate the need
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for dependence upon God. If anything, the crown
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revealed even more clearly why the years of waiting
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had been necessary. Every decision he made as
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king carried consequences for an entire nation.
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God had not merely prepared David to receive
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a throne. He had prepared him to carry the responsibility
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that came with it. When I consider Esther, Daniel,
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Paul, and Peter, I discover exactly the same
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principle. Their preparation did not stop when
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the assignment began because God's ultimate purpose
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had never been simply to complete a mission.
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His purpose was to continue forming men and women
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who reflected his own heart while carrying out
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that mission. I believe this is where many of
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us become discouraged. We assume that once God's
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promise comes to pass, life should become easier.
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Yet scripture shows us that every new assignment
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simply introduces new opportunities to trust
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Him more deeply. God never intended the assignment
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to replace our dependence upon Him. He intended
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it to deepen that dependence. Perhaps that is
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why Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing.
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He did not say those words only to people waiting
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for their calling. He spoke them to disciples
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who would soon change the world. Even after receiving
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the assignment, they would still need the same
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dependence they had learned while following him.
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When I step back and look at this entire series,
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I now understand why God allowed us to spend
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so much time in prisons, wildernesses, palaces,
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hidden years, failures, and finally at the cross.
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He was never simply teaching us how he prepares
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people for ministry. He was revealing the heart
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of a father whose greatest desire is to form
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his children into the likeness of his son. That
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realization changes the way I pray. Instead of
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saying, Lord, when will you give me my assignment?
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I began asking, Lord, what are you forming within
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me today? Instead of asking, why am I still in
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this season? I began asking, what part of Christ's
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character are you producing through this season?
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Instead of measuring my life by promotions, achievements
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or recognition. I begin measuring it by a much
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deeper question. Am I becoming more like Jesus?
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Because if the answer to that question is yes,
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then the forge is accomplishing its purpose,
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even if I cannot yet see the full assignment.
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And perhaps that is the greatest lesson this
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entire journey has been leading us toward. God's
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greatest accomplishment will never be the ministry
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he builds through us. His greatest accomplishment
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will always be the image of Christ he forms within
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us. Everything else, the influence, the platform,
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the opportunities, the legacy, is simply the
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overflow of a life that has been faithfully shaped
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by the Master's hands. As we bring this journey
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to its end, there is one final truth that ties
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every episode together. It is the truth that
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has quietly echoed through Joseph's prison, Moses'
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wilderness, Esther's palace, Daniel's Babylon,
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Paul's hidden years, Peter's restoration, and
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ultimately the cross of Christ. It is the reason
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we can trust God even when we do not understand
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his process. Because once you understand the
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purpose of the forge, you no longer fear the
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fire. You begin to trust. the hands of the Master
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who is holding you in it. As we come to the end
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of this journey, I find myself returning to the
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question that started it all. Why does God forge
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His servants before entrusting them with their
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assignment? After walking through the lives of
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Joseph, Moses, Esther, Daniel, Paul, Peter, and
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finally standing at the foot of the cross, I
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believe the answer has become beautifully clear.
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God's highest priority has never been the assignment.
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His highest priority has always been the servant.
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Before he entrusts influence, he forms character.
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Before he enlarges responsibility, he deepens
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dependence. Before he builds a ministry, he shapes
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a heart that reflects his son. Looking back now,
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I realize that every prison had a purpose. Every
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wilderness carried a lesson. Every hidden season
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concealed a work that human eyes could not yet
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see. Every disappointment exposed another opportunity
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to trust God more deeply. And even every surrendered
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failure became another instrument in the Master's
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hands. None of those seasons were accidental.
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None of them were evidence that God had forgotten
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his promise. None of them meant that heaven had
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abandoned the assignment. They were all part
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of the same loving process. The Forge. I have
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also realized something else. Perhaps the greatest
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evidence that God is preparing us is not that
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our circumstances are changing quickly. Perhaps
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the greatest evidence is that we are changing
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while our circumstances remain the same. When
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peace begins replacing anxiety, When humility
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begins replacing pride. When forgiveness begins
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replacing bitterness. When faith begins replacing
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fear. When our confidence rests more in Christ
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than in ourselves. The Forge is accomplishing
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exactly what God intended. That is a miracle
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no promotion can produce. No platform can manufacture
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it. No amount of human recognition can substitute
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for it. Only the Holy Spirit patiently working
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through surrendered lives can accomplish such
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transformation. And perhaps one day, when we
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finally stand in the presence of the Lord, we
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will look back over every chapter we once questioned
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and discover that the moments we were most tempted
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to call interruptions were actually some of God's
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greatest acts of preparation. We may discover
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that the prison protected us. that the wilderness
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taught us, that Babylon strengthened us, that
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the hidden years rooted us, that failure humbled
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us, and that the cross gave eternal meaning to
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every forge we would ever walk through. Because
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from the beginning of this series until this
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final conversation, One truth has echoed through
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every page of scripture. God never wastes the
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forge. But I think there is one final truth that
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is even more beautiful. God never wastes the
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servant. If you belong to Christ, your story
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is not being written by chance. It is not being
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directed by your enemies. It is not determined
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by your disappointments. It is not defined by
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your failures. Your story is being written by
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the hands of a faithful father who sees the end
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from the beginning and who is able to weave every
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surrendered chapter into a testimony that reflects
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his glory. That does not mean every season will
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be easy. It does not mean every question will
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receive an immediate answer. But it does mean
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that every season has purpose. Because every
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season rests in the hands of the master. So wherever
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you are today, whether you are living in your
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prison, walking through your wilderness, standing
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in your Babylon, waiting in your hidden years,
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recovering from failure, or carrying a cross
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you never expected to bear, do not lose heart.
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The forge is not your enemy. The master is not
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against you. He is preparing you not simply for
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something you will do But for someone you are
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becoming and when his work is complete You will
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discover that the greatest miracle was never
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the assignment itself The greatest miracle was
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the person his grace transformed along the way
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So keep trusting him keep following him keep
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surrendering to him Because the one who began
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a good work in you is faithful and he will bring
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it To completion, until next time, may your faith
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grow stronger, may your family grow deeper in
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Christ, may your purpose become clearer with
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every step of obedience, and may you never forget
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the forge is temporary, but what God is producing
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through it will last for eternity. Thank you
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for walking with me through this journey. This
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has been forged for your future assignment. And
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remember, one conversation, one story, one revelation
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at a time.