When things got chaotic in our life, my husband would say, “I can’t wait for things to get back to normal.” Things have been pretty chaotic and frankly very hard for us in 2025 and I think we’re both beginning to see that what we defined as ‘normal’ is actually an outlier. Life is hard and we’re not meant to bed down and take it easy until Jesus comes. Actually it’s just the opposite. If we follow Christ we’re told we will encounter hardship and pain. Those things are normal in a world racked by sin. But the followers of Christ are also told that everything they go through, the good and the bad, is filtered through the loving and sovereign hands of our Father so that all things work together for good and in all the trials and hardship, we are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:28-39) We make a mistake when we see afflictions and trials as an anomaly, or a grin and bear it period of time until things get back to normal. Through the kind providence of our Father, our afflictions and trials are actually working for us. Samuel Rutherford saw his own afflictions this way.

The dross of my cross gathered a scum of fears in the fire – doubtings, impatience, unbelief, challenging of Providence as sleeping, and as not regarding my sorrow; but my goldsmith, Christ, was pleased to take off the scum, and burn it in the fire. And, blessed be my Refiner, He hath made the metal better, and furnished new supply of grace, to cause me hold out weight; and I hope that He hath not lost one grain-weight by burning His servant.

In 1 Peter 1:3-5, the apostle speaks of our being born again to a living hope and our glorious and undefiled inheritance that is secured for us in heaven. But then he transitions in verses 6-7 to speak about trials and God’s purpose in them. He says, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This process of being tested by fire is what Rutherford is talking about. His cross is his trial. The dross that is burned off from the gold gathers with it all the things that so easily entangle him – the doubt, impatience, and unbelief – and Christ himself burns those things up in his refiner’s fire, making his faith stronger and better.

Trials are normal for the Christian for we follow a crucified Savior. His pattern is our pattern. But thanks be to God that our trials and crosses are not random! He is in control of the fire, the heat and the duration. Notice what Peter says about these trials – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary.” God brings us into the fire only if necessary and only for a little while. Yes, the first half of 2025 has been hard for us and it has seemed to stretch on for a long time, but we are not alone and God has a good and glorious purpose in it all. Amen.