WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.339 Welcome to Pomoja Podcast, the place where stronger 00:00:03.339 --> 00:00:06.080 lives are built, faith is strengthened, hearts 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.640 are encouraged, and Christ -centered homes are 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.279 shaped through ordinary conversations that become 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.660 extraordinary encounters with God's truth. One 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:18.420 conversation, one story, one revelation at a 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:22.500 time. I'm your host, Barry Mwamba. As we arrive 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:25.140 at the final conversation of this journey, I 00:00:25.140 --> 00:00:27.820 find myself looking back over everything we have 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:30.670 discovered together. We have walked through prisons, 00:00:31.129 --> 00:00:35.689 wildernesses, palaces, Babylon, hidden years, 00:00:36.229 --> 00:00:41.149 failure, and finally, the cross. Each conversation 00:00:41.149 --> 00:00:44.450 revealed another part of God's heart. Each servant 00:00:44.450 --> 00:00:47.070 taught us something different. Joseph taught 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:50.929 us that God can use injustice. Moses taught us 00:00:50.929 --> 00:00:54.229 that God can use waiting. Esther taught us that 00:00:54.229 --> 00:00:57.189 God prepares people long before they understand 00:00:57.189 --> 00:00:59.329 why they have been positioned where they are. 00:01:00.189 --> 00:01:03.030 Daniel taught us that God can prepare His servants 00:01:03.030 --> 00:01:06.170 even in environments trying to redefine them. 00:01:06.510 --> 00:01:09.769 Paul taught us that hidden years are often heaven's 00:01:09.769 --> 00:01:12.790 workshop. Peter taught us that failure surrendered 00:01:12.790 --> 00:01:15.810 to Christ can become another instrument in the 00:01:15.810 --> 00:01:19.370 Master's hands. Jesus showed us that the greatest 00:01:19.370 --> 00:01:22.409 apparent defeat became the greatest victory. 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:27.959 in history. By now, one truth has become unmistakable. 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:32.079 God never wastes the forge. But perhaps one question 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:35.159 has remained quietly in the background throughout 00:01:35.159 --> 00:01:39.180 this entire series. Why? Why would a loving God 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:42.620 choose this path so often? Why does he prepare 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:45.099 his servants before revealing their assignment? 00:01:45.659 --> 00:01:48.840 Why the prison before the palace? Why the wilderness 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:52.379 before the promised land? Why hidden years before 00:01:52.379 --> 00:01:56.359 influence? Why does God so often work in secret 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:00.480 before he works in public? Today, I believe we 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:03.299 finally answer that question. And I think the 00:02:03.299 --> 00:02:07.579 answer is both simpler and deeper than we imagined. 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:11.259 Because I no longer believe that God's highest 00:02:11.259 --> 00:02:14.199 priority is preparing people for an assignment. 00:02:14.699 --> 00:02:17.879 I believe his highest priority is preparing people 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:20.439 through the assignment to become more like his 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.300 son. That changes everything. The assignment 00:02:24.300 --> 00:02:28.199 matters. The ministry matters. The influence 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:32.280 matters. But none of those things are God's greatest 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:35.919 purpose. God's greatest purpose has always been 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.680 transformation. He is not simply preparing people 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:43.300 to do great things. He is preparing people to 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:46.719 become Christ -like. And perhaps that is why 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:49.819 every forge in scripture has one thing in common. 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:52.919 Every one of them leaves God's servant looking 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:57.319 less like themselves and more like Christ. That 00:02:57.319 --> 00:03:03.960 is where we begin. As I have reflected on every 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:06.479 servant we have studied throughout this series, 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:10.180 one truth has become impossible for me to ignore. 00:03:10.490 --> 00:03:13.650 Although their stories are very different, although 00:03:13.650 --> 00:03:16.909 they lived in different generations, faced different 00:03:16.909 --> 00:03:20.150 enemies, and experienced different kinds of trials, 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:24.469 they all arrived at exactly the same place. They 00:03:24.469 --> 00:03:27.750 stopped depending upon themselves. I find that 00:03:27.750 --> 00:03:30.669 fascinating because when we first meet many of 00:03:30.669 --> 00:03:33.909 these men and women, they are often full of strength, 00:03:34.169 --> 00:03:38.689 ability, dreams, intelligence. courage or confidence. 00:03:39.009 --> 00:03:41.389 None of those things are wrong in themselves. 00:03:41.650 --> 00:03:44.870 In fact, many of those qualities are gifts from 00:03:44.870 --> 00:03:48.210 God. Yet before God entrusts them with the full 00:03:48.210 --> 00:03:51.050 weight of their assignment, something always 00:03:51.050 --> 00:03:54.370 changes. Joseph enters the prison as a young 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:57.610 man with dreams. He leaves the prison as a man 00:03:57.610 --> 00:04:00.469 who understands that interpretation belongs to 00:04:00.469 --> 00:04:04.250 God. Moses leaves Egypt believing he can deliver 00:04:04.250 --> 00:04:07.960 Israel through his own strength. 40 years later, 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.199 he stands before the burning bush asking, who 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:14.919 am I? The man who once acted without being sent 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:18.360 now believes he is incapable of going unless 00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:22.000 God goes with him. David enters the wilderness 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:25.139 carrying a promise. He leaves the wilderness 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:28.360 understanding that becoming king depends entirely 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:31.519 upon God's timing rather than his own ability. 00:04:32.520 --> 00:04:35.480 Esther walks into the palace as a young woman 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:38.660 chosen for her beauty. She walks out willing 00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:41.860 to lay down her own life because she has discovered 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:45.899 that her position was never about herself. Daniel 00:04:45.899 --> 00:04:49.459 begins his journey as a gifted young man. Years 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:52.740 later, standing before kings, his confidence 00:04:52.740 --> 00:04:56.040 is no longer in his wisdom, but in the God who 00:04:56.040 --> 00:05:00.449 reveals mysteries. Paul arrives in Damascus convinced 00:05:00.449 --> 00:05:03.529 that he understands everything. The hidden years 00:05:03.529 --> 00:05:06.970 teach him that knowing Christ is infinitely greater 00:05:06.970 --> 00:05:10.290 than everything he once considered gain. Peter 00:05:10.290 --> 00:05:12.990 enters the courtyard believing that his devotion 00:05:12.990 --> 00:05:16.209 will never fail. He leaves the Sea of Galilee 00:05:16.209 --> 00:05:19.089 knowing that apart from Christ he can do nothing. 00:05:19.509 --> 00:05:22.649 Do you see the pattern? Different stories. Different 00:05:22.649 --> 00:05:27.329 journeys. The same lesson. God was gently removing 00:05:27.329 --> 00:05:30.189 every foundation upon which they could have built 00:05:30.189 --> 00:05:33.350 their confidence apart from him. That is not 00:05:33.350 --> 00:05:36.730 because God delights in breaking people. It is 00:05:36.730 --> 00:05:39.470 because he loves them too much to allow them 00:05:39.470 --> 00:05:42.470 to carry an assignment with a foundation that 00:05:42.470 --> 00:05:45.290 cannot sustain it. I have often wondered why 00:05:45.290 --> 00:05:47.930 God does not simply entrust people with great 00:05:47.930 --> 00:05:51.379 responsibility the moment he calls them. Perhaps 00:05:51.379 --> 00:05:54.680 it is because influence has a way of exposing 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:57.860 whatever still lives inside the human heart. 00:05:58.220 --> 00:06:01.660 If pride remains, influence magnifies it. If 00:06:01.660 --> 00:06:04.759 self -reliance remains, responsibility reveals 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:08.579 it. If the desire for recognition remains, success 00:06:08.579 --> 00:06:11.680 feeds it. The forge becomes the place where God 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.459 lovingly removes everything that would eventually 00:06:14.459 --> 00:06:17.730 destroy the very servant he intends to use. When 00:06:17.730 --> 00:06:20.730 I think about that, I realize the forge has never 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:23.550 been punishment. It has always been protection. 00:06:24.069 --> 00:06:27.310 God was protecting Joseph from becoming an arrogant 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:30.550 ruler. He was protecting Moses from leading in 00:06:30.550 --> 00:06:33.569 his own strength. He was protecting David from 00:06:33.569 --> 00:06:36.540 confusing the throne with entitlement. He was 00:06:36.540 --> 00:06:39.319 protecting Peter from believing that ministry 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:42.899 depended upon Peter, and perhaps he is protecting 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:46.779 us in ways we do not yet understand. Sometimes 00:06:46.779 --> 00:06:50.100 we ask God to remove the fire because we cannot 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:53.439 see what he is accomplishing within it. Yet God, 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:57.079 who sees the end from the beginning, knows exactly 00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:59.959 what kind of servant will be needed for the assignment 00:06:59.959 --> 00:07:02.740 he has already prepared. That is why humility 00:07:02.740 --> 00:07:06.040 is never an accident. It is forged. Dependence 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:09.800 upon God is never automatic. It is forged. A 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:13.540 heart that genuinely says, Lord, without you 00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:16.819 I can do nothing, is rarely formed in comfort 00:07:16.819 --> 00:07:20.500 alone. More often, it is formed in the very seasons 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:23.420 we would have preferred to avoid. Looking back 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:26.480 now, I think the forge was never teaching these 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:29.500 servants how strong they were. It was teaching 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:33.040 them how faithful God is. And perhaps that is 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:35.600 the first and greatest purpose of every forge, 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:39.399 not to convince us that we are capable, but to 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.899 bring us to the joyful realization that God is 00:07:42.899 --> 00:07:47.680 sufficient. If the forge teaches us to depend 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:51.019 upon God rather than ourselves, then another 00:07:51.019 --> 00:07:54.660 question naturally follows. What kind of person 00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:58.439 emerges from that process? Because God is not 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:01.660 only removing pride, He is building something 00:08:01.660 --> 00:08:04.959 new, something that cannot be produced by talent, 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:08.740 education, experience, or natural ability alone. 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.839 He is shaping the character of Christ, and perhaps 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:15.959 that is the greatest work he accomplishes before 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:20.259 he ever entrusts an assignment. As I continue 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:23.000 reflecting on God's pattern throughout Scripture, 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.199 I have become convinced that the greatest miracle 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:29.639 of the forge is not that it changes our circumstances. 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:34.500 The greatest miracle is that it changes us. We 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:37.320 often ask God to change the situation around 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:40.779 us while God is patiently working to change the 00:08:40.779 --> 00:08:45.200 person within us. Perhaps that explains why two 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:48.279 people can walk through the same trial and emerge 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:52.700 completely different. One becomes bitter. The 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:56.480 other becomes compassionate. One loses hope. 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:00.279 The other grows in faith. One turns away from 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:04.100 God. The other discovers a deeper intimacy with 00:09:04.100 --> 00:09:08.220 Him than ever before. The difference is not always 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:11.539 the fire. The difference is what the fire is 00:09:11.539 --> 00:09:14.960 producing. That is exactly what Paul teaches 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:18.620 us in Romans when he writes that those whom God 00:09:18.620 --> 00:09:22.629 foreknew He also predestined to be conformed 00:09:22.629 --> 00:09:26.149 to the image of his son. I have read that verse 00:09:26.149 --> 00:09:29.970 many times, but during this series, it has taken 00:09:29.970 --> 00:09:34.429 on an entirely new meaning for me. Notice what 00:09:34.429 --> 00:09:38.049 Paul does not say. He does not say that God's 00:09:38.049 --> 00:09:41.669 highest purpose is to make us successful. He 00:09:41.669 --> 00:09:44.750 does not say that God's highest purpose is to 00:09:44.750 --> 00:09:48.240 make us wealthy. He does not say that God's highest 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.779 purpose is to make us influential or admired 00:09:51.779 --> 00:09:55.740 by people. God's eternal purpose is to make us 00:09:55.740 --> 00:09:59.700 look more like Jesus. That changes the way we 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:03.720 understand every season of life. If Christ is 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.220 the destination, then every forge becomes part 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:10.500 of the journey. Every disappointment has meaning. 00:10:10.940 --> 00:10:14.740 Every delay has meaning. Every unanswered prayer 00:10:14.740 --> 00:10:18.480 has meaning. Every season of waiting has meaning 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.440 not because God enjoys watching his children 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.200 struggle But because he sees something we cannot 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.860 yet see He sees the finished work. He sees the 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:34.019 servant after the forge has accomplished its 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:38.139 purpose When I look back at Joseph, I no longer 00:10:38.139 --> 00:10:42.320 see only a prisoner becoming a ruler I see a 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:45.320 young man learning forgiveness before receiving 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:49.100 power. Had Joseph reached the throne without 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:52.600 first learning to forgive, he may have used his 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:55.799 authority to take revenge instead of preserving 00:10:55.799 --> 00:11:00.440 life. When I look at Moses, I no longer see only 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:04.220 a shepherd becoming a deliverer. I see an impulsive 00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:07.399 man becoming patient enough to lead millions 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:11.259 through a wilderness. When I look at David, I 00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:14.480 no longer see only a shepherd becoming a king. 00:11:15.059 --> 00:11:17.960 I see a man whose years of waiting taught him 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:22.200 to trust God's timing instead of forcing God's 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.720 promises. When I look at Peter, I no longer see 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:29.580 only a disciple restored after failure. I see 00:11:29.580 --> 00:11:33.000 a proud man becoming a humble shepherd whose 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:35.860 greatest confidence rested in the grace of Christ 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:39.120 rather than in his own strength. Every forge 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.120 was shaping the character required for the assignment, 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:45.460 and that pattern has never changed. Sometimes 00:11:45.460 --> 00:11:50.600 we pray, Lord, make me useful. God answers first. 00:11:50.940 --> 00:11:54.980 Let me make you like my son. Sometimes we ask 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:58.159 for greater influence. God begins working on 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:01.779 our humility. Sometimes we ask for open doors. 00:12:02.379 --> 00:12:05.980 God begins working on our patience. Sometimes 00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:09.730 we ask for promotion. God begins teaching us 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:13.330 faithfulness in places no one else notices. Why? 00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:17.049 Because God understands something we often forget. 00:12:17.850 --> 00:12:20.389 Character carries an assignment farther than 00:12:20.389 --> 00:12:24.830 talent ever will. Gifts may open doors. Knowledge 00:12:24.830 --> 00:12:28.169 may create opportunities. Natural ability may 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:31.889 attract attention. But only Christ -like character 00:12:31.889 --> 00:12:35.350 can sustain what God entrusts into our hands. 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:39.240 That is why the forge cannot be rushed. Steel 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:43.000 is not shaped in a moment. Gold is not refined 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.799 in an instant. Neither are servants of God. The 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.759 forge takes time because transformation takes 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:53.059 time. Looking back over every conversation we 00:12:53.059 --> 00:12:56.120 have shared in this series, I now realize that 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:59.179 God was never primarily preparing Joseph for 00:12:59.179 --> 00:13:02.799 Egypt. He was preparing Joseph to represent God's 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:06.440 heart in Egypt. He was never primarily preparing 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:10.580 Moses to confront Pharaoh. He was preparing Moses 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:14.399 to reveal God's character before Israel. He was 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:17.519 never primarily preparing Esther to stand before 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:20.860 the king. He was preparing Esther to display 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:24.759 sacrificial courage. He was never primarily preparing 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:28.080 Peter to preach at Pentecost. He was preparing 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:31.500 Peter to shepherd God's people with humility 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:35.000 and grace. The assignment was always important, 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.899 but the servant was always God's first priority. 00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:41.919 Perhaps that is why heaven is never in a hurry. 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:45.120 God measures success differently than we do. 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:50.179 We count followers. God forms disciples. We celebrate 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:54.009 platforms. God develops character. We admire 00:13:54.009 --> 00:13:57.149 public influence. God rejoices when Christ is 00:13:57.149 --> 00:13:59.690 being formed within us. And when Christ becomes 00:13:59.690 --> 00:14:02.830 the deepest work of our lives, every forge begins 00:14:02.830 --> 00:14:10.429 to make sense. If the forge teaches us dependence 00:14:10.429 --> 00:14:13.870 upon God, and if the forge shapes us into the 00:14:13.870 --> 00:14:17.549 likeness of Christ, then one final question remains. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:21.360 Why does God entrust an assignment only after 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.039 this work has begun? Because there is one last 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:27.639 purpose of the forge that brings this entire 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:31.519 series together. God is not simply preparing 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:35.440 us to finish a mission. He is preparing us to 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.779 leave a legacy that reflects His glory. And that 00:14:39.779 --> 00:14:43.679 is where we bring this journey to its final conclusion. 00:14:44.909 --> 00:14:48.129 As I have reflected on everything we have discovered 00:14:48.129 --> 00:14:51.090 together throughout this journey, I have come 00:14:51.090 --> 00:14:55.429 to realize that perhaps one of the greatest misunderstandings 00:14:55.429 --> 00:14:58.970 among believers is the way we think about God's 00:14:58.970 --> 00:15:02.549 assignments. We often imagine that the assignment 00:15:02.549 --> 00:15:06.450 is the destination, that once God finally opens 00:15:06.450 --> 00:15:10.450 the door, promotes us, answers our prayers, or 00:15:10.450 --> 00:15:13.850 fulfills the promise He spoke over our lives. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.759 His work is complete. Yet when I look at scripture, 00:15:18.100 --> 00:15:21.659 I see something entirely different. The assignment 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:24.820 is never the end of God's work. It is simply 00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:28.740 another stage in his work. That changes the way 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:32.279 I read the lives of every servant we have studied. 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:36.259 Joseph's story did not end when he became governor 00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:40.379 of Egypt. In many ways, his greatest test began 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:43.789 after he received authority. It is one thing 00:15:43.789 --> 00:15:46.970 to remain faithful while sitting in a prison 00:15:46.970 --> 00:15:50.549 with nothing to lose. It is something entirely 00:15:50.549 --> 00:15:54.250 different to remain humble when the entire nation 00:15:54.250 --> 00:15:58.129 bows before you. The throne was never Joseph's 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:01.490 reward for surviving the prison. It became the 00:16:01.490 --> 00:16:04.490 place where everything the prison had produced 00:16:04.490 --> 00:16:08.710 inside him would finally be revealed. The same 00:16:08.710 --> 00:16:12.470 pattern appears in Moses' life. We often think 00:16:12.470 --> 00:16:15.529 the wilderness ended when he stood before Pharaoh, 00:16:15.769 --> 00:16:19.269 but in reality, the wilderness continued while 00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:22.389 he was leading millions of people through another 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:26.409 wilderness. Every complaint, every act of rebellion, 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:30.549 every difficult decision became another opportunity 00:16:30.549 --> 00:16:33.730 for God to continue shaping his servant. The 00:16:33.730 --> 00:16:37.990 assignment did not replace the forge. The assignment 00:16:37.990 --> 00:16:41.720 became part of the forge. The same is true of 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:45.379 David. Becoming king did not eliminate the need 00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:49.580 for dependence upon God. If anything, the crown 00:16:49.580 --> 00:16:52.580 revealed even more clearly why the years of waiting 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:56.720 had been necessary. Every decision he made as 00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:00.259 king carried consequences for an entire nation. 00:17:01.220 --> 00:17:04.079 God had not merely prepared David to receive 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:08.160 a throne. He had prepared him to carry the responsibility 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:12.440 that came with it. When I consider Esther, Daniel, 00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:16.519 Paul, and Peter, I discover exactly the same 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:20.200 principle. Their preparation did not stop when 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:24.099 the assignment began because God's ultimate purpose 00:17:24.099 --> 00:17:27.000 had never been simply to complete a mission. 00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:31.579 His purpose was to continue forming men and women 00:17:31.579 --> 00:17:35.380 who reflected his own heart while carrying out 00:17:35.380 --> 00:17:38.420 that mission. I believe this is where many of 00:17:38.420 --> 00:17:42.519 us become discouraged. We assume that once God's 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:46.059 promise comes to pass, life should become easier. 00:17:46.660 --> 00:17:50.220 Yet scripture shows us that every new assignment 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:53.940 simply introduces new opportunities to trust 00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:58.299 Him more deeply. God never intended the assignment 00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:01.940 to replace our dependence upon Him. He intended 00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:05.579 it to deepen that dependence. Perhaps that is 00:18:05.579 --> 00:18:10.079 why Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:13.880 He did not say those words only to people waiting 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:17.279 for their calling. He spoke them to disciples 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:21.119 who would soon change the world. Even after receiving 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:24.119 the assignment, they would still need the same 00:18:24.119 --> 00:18:27.279 dependence they had learned while following him. 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.319 When I step back and look at this entire series, 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:34.740 I now understand why God allowed us to spend 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:38.920 so much time in prisons, wildernesses, palaces, 00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:43.779 hidden years, failures, and finally at the cross. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:47.319 He was never simply teaching us how he prepares 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.900 people for ministry. He was revealing the heart 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:53.759 of a father whose greatest desire is to form 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:57.660 his children into the likeness of his son. That 00:18:57.660 --> 00:19:01.450 realization changes the way I pray. Instead of 00:19:01.450 --> 00:19:05.049 saying, Lord, when will you give me my assignment? 00:19:05.769 --> 00:19:10.269 I began asking, Lord, what are you forming within 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:14.529 me today? Instead of asking, why am I still in 00:19:14.529 --> 00:19:19.089 this season? I began asking, what part of Christ's 00:19:19.089 --> 00:19:21.349 character are you producing through this season? 00:19:22.329 --> 00:19:25.490 Instead of measuring my life by promotions, achievements 00:19:25.490 --> 00:19:29.160 or recognition. I begin measuring it by a much 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:33.359 deeper question. Am I becoming more like Jesus? 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:36.920 Because if the answer to that question is yes, 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:40.359 then the forge is accomplishing its purpose, 00:19:40.900 --> 00:19:43.759 even if I cannot yet see the full assignment. 00:19:44.019 --> 00:19:47.359 And perhaps that is the greatest lesson this 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:51.559 entire journey has been leading us toward. God's 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:54.240 greatest accomplishment will never be the ministry 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:57.799 he builds through us. His greatest accomplishment 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:01.619 will always be the image of Christ he forms within 00:20:01.619 --> 00:20:06.019 us. Everything else, the influence, the platform, 00:20:06.579 --> 00:20:10.519 the opportunities, the legacy, is simply the 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:13.960 overflow of a life that has been faithfully shaped 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:19.740 by the Master's hands. As we bring this journey 00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:22.700 to its end, there is one final truth that ties 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:26.299 every episode together. It is the truth that 00:20:26.299 --> 00:20:29.480 has quietly echoed through Joseph's prison, Moses' 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:33.200 wilderness, Esther's palace, Daniel's Babylon, 00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:37.400 Paul's hidden years, Peter's restoration, and 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:41.039 ultimately the cross of Christ. It is the reason 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:44.500 we can trust God even when we do not understand 00:20:44.500 --> 00:20:47.700 his process. Because once you understand the 00:20:47.700 --> 00:20:51.079 purpose of the forge, you no longer fear the 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:55.450 fire. You begin to trust. the hands of the Master 00:20:55.450 --> 00:21:00.069 who is holding you in it. As we come to the end 00:21:00.069 --> 00:21:02.970 of this journey, I find myself returning to the 00:21:02.970 --> 00:21:06.170 question that started it all. Why does God forge 00:21:06.170 --> 00:21:08.750 His servants before entrusting them with their 00:21:08.750 --> 00:21:11.549 assignment? After walking through the lives of 00:21:11.549 --> 00:21:16.950 Joseph, Moses, Esther, Daniel, Paul, Peter, and 00:21:16.950 --> 00:21:19.589 finally standing at the foot of the cross, I 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:22.470 believe the answer has become beautifully clear. 00:21:22.750 --> 00:21:26.210 God's highest priority has never been the assignment. 00:21:26.730 --> 00:21:30.630 His highest priority has always been the servant. 00:21:31.490 --> 00:21:34.869 Before he entrusts influence, he forms character. 00:21:35.369 --> 00:21:38.890 Before he enlarges responsibility, he deepens 00:21:38.890 --> 00:21:42.490 dependence. Before he builds a ministry, he shapes 00:21:42.490 --> 00:21:46.910 a heart that reflects his son. Looking back now, 00:21:47.329 --> 00:21:50.829 I realize that every prison had a purpose. Every 00:21:50.829 --> 00:21:54.509 wilderness carried a lesson. Every hidden season 00:21:54.509 --> 00:21:57.589 concealed a work that human eyes could not yet 00:21:57.589 --> 00:22:01.690 see. Every disappointment exposed another opportunity 00:22:01.690 --> 00:22:05.890 to trust God more deeply. And even every surrendered 00:22:05.890 --> 00:22:09.529 failure became another instrument in the Master's 00:22:09.529 --> 00:22:13.009 hands. None of those seasons were accidental. 00:22:13.569 --> 00:22:16.650 None of them were evidence that God had forgotten 00:22:16.650 --> 00:22:20.160 his promise. None of them meant that heaven had 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.259 abandoned the assignment. They were all part 00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:27.920 of the same loving process. The Forge. I have 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:31.559 also realized something else. Perhaps the greatest 00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:35.000 evidence that God is preparing us is not that 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:38.500 our circumstances are changing quickly. Perhaps 00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:41.579 the greatest evidence is that we are changing 00:22:41.579 --> 00:22:45.019 while our circumstances remain the same. When 00:22:45.019 --> 00:22:48.829 peace begins replacing anxiety, When humility 00:22:48.829 --> 00:22:52.809 begins replacing pride. When forgiveness begins 00:22:52.809 --> 00:22:56.890 replacing bitterness. When faith begins replacing 00:22:56.890 --> 00:23:00.710 fear. When our confidence rests more in Christ 00:23:00.710 --> 00:23:04.430 than in ourselves. The Forge is accomplishing 00:23:04.430 --> 00:23:07.809 exactly what God intended. That is a miracle 00:23:07.809 --> 00:23:11.970 no promotion can produce. No platform can manufacture 00:23:11.970 --> 00:23:15.789 it. No amount of human recognition can substitute 00:23:15.789 --> 00:23:19.140 for it. Only the Holy Spirit patiently working 00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:22.420 through surrendered lives can accomplish such 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:25.680 transformation. And perhaps one day, when we 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:28.619 finally stand in the presence of the Lord, we 00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:32.180 will look back over every chapter we once questioned 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:35.440 and discover that the moments we were most tempted 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:39.380 to call interruptions were actually some of God's 00:23:39.380 --> 00:23:43.200 greatest acts of preparation. We may discover 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.380 that the prison protected us. that the wilderness 00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:51.539 taught us, that Babylon strengthened us, that 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:55.119 the hidden years rooted us, that failure humbled 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:59.039 us, and that the cross gave eternal meaning to 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:03.019 every forge we would ever walk through. Because 00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:05.720 from the beginning of this series until this 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:09.500 final conversation, One truth has echoed through 00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:12.700 every page of scripture. God never wastes the 00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:16.279 forge. But I think there is one final truth that 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:20.079 is even more beautiful. God never wastes the 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:23.480 servant. If you belong to Christ, your story 00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:27.099 is not being written by chance. It is not being 00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:30.740 directed by your enemies. It is not determined 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:34.259 by your disappointments. It is not defined by 00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:38.250 your failures. Your story is being written by 00:24:38.250 --> 00:24:42.109 the hands of a faithful father who sees the end 00:24:42.109 --> 00:24:45.750 from the beginning and who is able to weave every 00:24:45.750 --> 00:24:49.490 surrendered chapter into a testimony that reflects 00:24:49.490 --> 00:24:53.089 his glory. That does not mean every season will 00:24:53.089 --> 00:24:57.049 be easy. It does not mean every question will 00:24:57.049 --> 00:25:00.769 receive an immediate answer. But it does mean 00:25:00.769 --> 00:25:04.380 that every season has purpose. Because every 00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:08.519 season rests in the hands of the master. So wherever 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:12.079 you are today, whether you are living in your 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:16.440 prison, walking through your wilderness, standing 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:19.980 in your Babylon, waiting in your hidden years, 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:23.920 recovering from failure, or carrying a cross 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:27.359 you never expected to bear, do not lose heart. 00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:31.940 The forge is not your enemy. The master is not 00:25:31.940 --> 00:25:35.799 against you. He is preparing you not simply for 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:38.640 something you will do But for someone you are 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:42.380 becoming and when his work is complete You will 00:25:42.380 --> 00:25:44.559 discover that the greatest miracle was never 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:48.220 the assignment itself The greatest miracle was 00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:51.480 the person his grace transformed along the way 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:54.960 So keep trusting him keep following him keep 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:57.960 surrendering to him Because the one who began 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:01.099 a good work in you is faithful and he will bring 00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:05.109 it To completion, until next time, may your faith 00:26:05.109 --> 00:26:08.589 grow stronger, may your family grow deeper in 00:26:08.589 --> 00:26:11.869 Christ, may your purpose become clearer with 00:26:11.869 --> 00:26:15.670 every step of obedience, and may you never forget 00:26:15.670 --> 00:26:20.690 the forge is temporary, but what God is producing 00:26:20.690 --> 00:26:25.349 through it will last for eternity. Thank you 00:26:25.349 --> 00:26:28.349 for walking with me through this journey. This 00:26:28.349 --> 00:26:32.329 has been forged for your future assignment. And 00:26:32.329 --> 00:26:38.369 remember, one conversation, one story, one revelation 00:26:38.369 --> 00:26:39.910 at a time.