"...No chastening for the present time seemeth to be joyous, but grievous..."

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,

and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

~ Hebrews 12:11a, 12:6

***

Oh, the furnace of suffering! How it hurts and brings us pain!

It is there that the Lord trains us for battle.

It is there that we learn to pray.

It is there that God gets alone with us

and reveals to us who we really are.

It is there where He prunes away our comforts

and burns away the sin in our lives.

It is there, in the furnace, that we drench our pillow with tears

when in agony of soul we cry out to Him,

"Oh, God, if it be possible, remove this cup from me!

Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."

It is there that He uses our failures to prepare us for His work.

It is there, in the furnace, when we have nothing to offer,

when we have no song in the night.

It is there that we feel like our life is over

when every thing we enjoy is being taken away from us.

It is then that we begin to realize

that we are under the wings of the Lord.

He will take care of us.

It is there that we often fail to recognize

the hidden work of God in our most barren times.

It is there, in the furnace, that no tear is wasted

but fulfills His purposes in our lives.

It is there that He weaves the black thread

into the tapestry of our life.

It is there where He reveals how all things work together

for good to them that love Him.

It is there that we get real with God, when all else is said and done.

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in him."

It is when we fall out of love with this life,

and live in the light of eternity to come.

It is there that He reveals the depths of love that He has for us,

when we "reckon that the sufferings of this present time

is not worthy to be compared with the glory

which shall be revealed in us."

It is there that we realize "our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

It is there that we fall in love with Jesus

and appreciate the depth of our eternal home,

knowing that the sufferings of our past

won't cause us pain,

but would rather enhance His glory.

It is when we come out of the furnace that spring begins to blossom.

After He reduces us to tears we offer liquidified prayers

that touch the heart of God.

It is there that we shed tears of intercession

that will not be forgotten by God.

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

bringing his sheaves with him."

"...but we glory in tribulations also:

knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

and patience, experience;

and experience, hope."

~ Romans 5:3-4

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

~ 2 Corinthians 4:17

***

Dear soul,

Don't be disheartened, we're not home yet.

The best is yet to come.

Weeping may last for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The Scripture says,

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

               ~ Romans 3:23

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,

thou shalt be saved."

               ~ Romans 10:9

Don't fall asleep without Jesus

until you are assured of a place in heaven.

Tonight, if you would like to receive the gift of eternal life

first you must believe in the Lord.

You have to ask for your sins to be forgiven

and put your trust in the Lord.

There's only one way to heaven and that's through the Lord Jesus.

That's God's wonderful plan of salvation.

You can begin a personal relationship with Him

by praying a prayer such as the following:

"Oh God, I am a sinner.

I am sorry for my sins.

I want to turn from my sin.

I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior;

I confess Him as my Lord.

From now on I want to follow Him.

In Jesus' name, Amen."

                          ~ Ephesians 1:4

If you have received the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior

after reading this invitation, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you. Your first name is sufficient.

We'll leave the light on for you...

Welcome to the family of God!

We are excited about your decision to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior,

and would like to encourage you to find a local church that you could be a part of

to help you grow in your new walk with Him. 

Also, we encourage you to develop a personal relationship with the Lord

by reading the Scriptures and praying to Him often.

Talk to Him as you would talk to a dearest friend.

He desires that closeness and intimacy with you!

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:

he shall gather the lambs with his arm,

and carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young."

                 ~ Isaiah 40:11

Here are some resources for your spiritual growth and discipleship.

An Encouraging Music Video of God's "Amazing Love"!

Scriptural references for your personal study on this topic:

Job 1:21, 13:15,  Psalm 126:5-6, Isaiah 65:17, Matthew 26:39, Romans 5:3-5, 8:18, 28,

2 Corinthians 2:4, 4:17, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, Hebrews 11:25, 12:11

If you would like to contact us for spiritual guidance or for follow up care,

feel free to write to us at feedback@photosforsouls.com

We appreciate your prayers and look forward to meeting you in eternity!