08/08/2026
The Furnace of Affliction
I’ve walked through some valleys
Where the sun refused to shine,
And wondered if the hand of God
Was really holding mine.
I’ve stood inside the furnace,
Felt the heat from every flame,
But even in the hottest fire,
I learned to trust His name.
I thought the fire would break me,
I thought I’d surely fall;
I wondered if He heard me
When in desperation I would call.
But somewhere in the darkness,
When I could barely pray,
The God who walked into the fire
Had never gone away.
He never said the furnace
Would always feel like grace;
Sometimes through smoke and sorrow
I could hardly see His face.
But He was doing something
That my eyes could never see—
The fire I thought would finish me
Was refining something in me.
For His name’s sake He kept me,
For His glory He brought me through;
When I had nothing left to offer,
His mercy still was new.
I cannot say I understand
Each scar along the way,
But I know this much with certainty:
The furnace didn't have the final say.
The fire did not destroy me.
The valley wasn't home.
The night could not convince my God
To leave His child alone.
And every time I stumbled,
His hand was there to stay;
The flames could burn around me,
But they couldn't take His grace away.
So if today you're standing
Where the heat is fierce and strong,
And you're wondering how much longer
Before the night is gone,
Remember Who is with you—
The One who rules both night and day;
The furnace may refine you,
But it doesn't have the final say.
One day we'll see the reason
For the roads we couldn't trace,
And understand the furnace
Was still surrounded by His grace.
Until then I'll keep trusting
The One who led me all the way;
The fire may tell my story—
But God gets the glory,
And He gets the final say.
Jeffrey S Morehead
08/08/2026
