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