Some years ago, I was in Williamstown, West Virginia, preaching and traveling with an evangelistic team, and we were able to go to the Fenton Blown Glass Company. Now, is there any lady here that knows what Fenton Blown Glass is? Anybody? Well, it's a little fairly common back east, and of course, maybe you've been to places where they've blown glass, and it's quite an amazing process. they gave us a tour of the entire property and when they gave us a tour they showed us that there was a certain kind of of Sand that was used in the making of this glass. It was put in a furnace and When we first came there on the factory floor the tour guide told us that this man right here has a long Long pole and he's sticking it inside that furnace to get a glob of glass because the furnace had melted the sand down to molten temperatures He would get a glob of glass on there and he was at this time making a picture like you would use for pouring water. So he brought it out and he set it on what looked like a tripod kind of a setup and he started to spin that long pole so that the glass wouldn't fall down in globs and when he spun it he put his mouth on one end and blew air into that little piece of blown glass and he blew some more air and he spun it and blew some more air and he spun it. Then he brought it over here and he set it on another tripod and he took a tool and he began to turn that pole and he would fashion a bottom for the glass picture. And then he brought it out a little further and he would fashion a top so that it would look like this and then come around and have a picture top on it. And he was constantly blowing air in there and moving it and moving it. Now it was cooling down since it had been brought out of the furnace. It was just a remarkable process to watch. And at the end, he brought it over here and he had fashioned some little edging in the top of the picture. And then he took it, and he took a piece of glass, and another craftsman took, and he began to make some more glass. Now, in the middle of all this process, he took what was forming and shaping in to be a glass picture, and he stuck it in another furnace. What happened in that furnace was extremely crucial to the process of this picture turning out just right. And what happened in that furnace has strong bearing on your life tonight. I want to preach to you for a few moments on this subject. Say glory when you're in the fire. Say glory when you're in the fire. Now let's look at this passage and see what the Bible says about this matter of suffering God's way. Notice verse number one. It says, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers' temptations. I want you to notice first the promise of entering trials. The promise of entering trials. Would you say that with me? The promise of entering trials. Would you say it again? The promise of entering trials. Here in the Bible, there is a promise of entering trials. Notice the phrase again, verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy if ye fall into divers temptations. Is that what your Bible says? No, if it is it's the wrong kind look at it. It says my brethren counted all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Alright, this is what the Bible is saying It's not a matter of you might fall into divers temptations. It's a matter of you will fall into divers temptations My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. The word temptations here is used, and it's talking about something different than the word used in verse number 13. When he uses the word tempted in verse number 13 and verse 14, he is talking about a solicitation to do evil. When he uses the word tempted in verse 12 and verse number 3 or 2, he's talking about a trial or a test. Now, sometimes a trial or a test can lead to a solicitation to do evil. But, he's talking about something different. Notice what he says in verse 13. Now, we need to always compare Scripture with Scripture and rightly divide the words so that we understand it. In the book of Genesis, chapter 22, it says that the Lord tempted Abraham. What was he saying? Is there a contradiction between Genesis 22 and James chapter 1 and verse number 13? No. It's two different words and two different meanings. Now, the one word has to do with the solicitation to do evil. God never is behind that. He's never involved in tempting men to do what is wrong. God is not the author of confusion, and He's certainly not the one that tempts men to do evil. Every man, v. 14, is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. But God does test His children. And He tests us in various times, and at various stages, and in various ways with trouble. Look, the idea behind the prosperity gospel preachers like Creflo Dollar and Joel Osteen is that they have no idea what the Bible teaches concerning the subject. In fact, God does not promise that if you get saved you'll be wealthy and rich and have lots of prosperity physically speaking or financially speaking. Now if you have that, there's nothing wrong with that. It's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have that matters. And the truth is, it's how you get what you have that matters. That's the idea. But the scripture never teaches a prosperity gospel that if you get saved you'll be driving a Beamer, or you get saved you'll be driving a Maserati, or you'll be wearing $1,200 suits, or you'll be having all that life could ever promise to give. That's not a Bible doctrine. There are multitudes in the Bible that suffered, and multitudes in the Bible that went without, and multitudes in the Bible that went through great trials of affliction, Hebrews chapter 11 cites some. So he says here, when you fall into divers temptations, count it joy. What is he saying? You're going to have some temptations. In the book of John, chapter number 6, the Bible says, In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. John 16. In other words, he says you're going to suffer, there are going to be troubles, there are going to be afflictions. He says in the book of Psalms, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all. Hey, you're going to suffer. There are going to be difficult times. They say about a Christian that you're either going into a trial, right in the midst of a trial, or just coming out of a trial. Isn't that encouraging? Now, there are going to be some tough times. They may be financial. They may be physical. They may be such that you lose a loved one. Maybe something sudden or unexpected will come. Maybe it will be in the form of a long, drawn-out struggle. There are going to be difficulties and trials and tribulations that you and I face. This world is not our home. Our dear brothers and sisters in the church in Texas are going through a trial right now. Not one they ever got in line for, not one that they like, not one that they would like to think about in the future, but they're there. And the truth is, is that you and I are going to go through great trials of afflictions at times, and we need to understand that. We need to reject any idea or any teaching that says everything's going to be a bed of roses and there's going to be no problems. No, he's talking about trials and tribulations throughout. I want you to see, number one, the promise of entering trials. Number two, I want you to notice not only the promise of entering trials, but notice what our text says in verse two. My brethren, count it all joy. when you fall into divers' temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Alright, number two. I want you to notice the purpose of enjoying trials. Now, I use the word carefully. But I want you to understand that there is to be a counting it of joy when you go through difficulty. This is not natural. This is supernatural. This does not come of yourself. This comes from Almighty God. This comes from supernatural Holy Spirit power living within. It comes from a Christian resting on God's promises. Hear it. Nobody's paying much attention when you're singing on Sunday morning, and Brother Roger gets up here and waves his hands all over the place. Nobody's paying much attention to how you sing, or if you sing, or what kind of singing you're singing with. But every person around you is watching when you're going through trials. They're seeing whether or not your God is going to be worshipped during that time. They're wondering how in the world you're going to make it during these days. They're wondering, what are you going to do with your faith in God now? I have a friend named Sam. He is a pastor in Ohio, and he and his wife got married, Eliza. They went up to Ohio. They started a church. Sam was saved out of basically an unchristian background. Nobody in his family was saved. And they happened to have a baby that had serious, serious birth defects. They were in the hospital, and their family would gather around and see them. And they went so far as to say, what do you think of your God now? Sam said, I'll tell you what I think of my God. My God is as great now as He's ever been, and He loves me now just as much as He ever has, and God has a plan just as much as He ever did. You see it? That's when the world is watching. When you should be crying, and you're singing. You see, there is a purpose of enjoying trials. Notice what he says. My brethren, count it all joy. Consider this as an opportunity for your joy to shine. Look here. Joy shines. Period. And joy is a blessing. Period. But when there's joy in the midst of trials, it stands out in a class all by itself. I don't know what you're going through. I don't know if there's difficulty in your life. I'm not sure what you're facing right now, but I know this, there is a God in heaven that has a resource and a reservoir that you can reach back in and reach back in and reach back in for peace and strength and help and joy in the midst of your difficulty, and that reservoir will never run dry. Watch, there is a purpose of enjoying trials. By the way, this isn't just here. Take your Bible and turn with me over to the book of 2 Corinthians 11. I want you to see that this was Paul's mindset. Not just James, but here under inspiration, Paul references it. 2 Corinthians 11, I want you to see what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11, in verse number 23. Now, he's speaking tongue-in-cheek here to make an emphasis. Sometimes a preacher does that. He's exaggerating to make an emphasis. And he says in verse number 22, are they Hebrew? So am I. There were those in the church at Corinth that were questioning his apostleship and questioning his authority. By the way, let me say this. Every one of the four ministry gifts, apostle, prophet, pastor, and evangelist, every one, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, every one at times comes under attack. Somewhere, someone is attacking the gift of the evangelist. Telling us that it's not for today. Telling us that it's something other than it is. Telling us that we really don't need it. Someone, somewhere is attacking the gift of the pastor. Not coming to hear him preach. When he preaches, disregarding what he has to say. having either a cold attitude, never coming forward, never responding tenderly, or having a hostile attitude towards the pastor, bucking at every idea he brings up, kicking at every twist and turn. There were those that attacked the gift of the apostle. Let me just say to you, you better not be one of those who stands in line to attack God's gift. It won't turn out good for you. I'm just going to tell you right now, I'm not saying this in any way to boast or brag. I'm saying this to state a fact. Whenever you attack God's gift that he has given to the local church by either indifference or out-and-out hostility, it's not going to work out very well. And there were those that were attacking it. Here in 2 Corinthians, they were attacking it. And so he says, speaking of them, are they Hebrews? Verse number 21, I speak as concerning reproaches, though we had been weak, albeit weren't so ever any as bold. I speak foolishly. I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they of the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more. Well, you're more? Yes. Well, Mr. Paul, what are you going to give as your credentials for being an apostle? Are you going to tell us how many missionary journeys you've taken? No. Are you going to give us on your resume how many churches you've started? No. Well, what do you mean you're a minister? You say you're a minister, we say we're ministers. What are you going to give as credentials on your part? Are you going to give us your degrees that you've graduated with? No. What are you going to give us? How much I've suffered. Look at verse number 24. He says in verse 23, are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities." What? Paul, you're not going to tell us how many degrees you have? No. You're not going to tell us how many churches you started? No. How many souls you've won? No. How many ministries or missionary journeys you've taken? No. What are you going to tell us about? How much I've suffered? Do you know what he was saying? He was saying, those are my credentials. That's what I'm going to glory in. You see, the people that were his critics hadn't suffered. They were just glad to be his critics. And you mark my words, the devil has a great big bullseye on this man right here. You get him alone sometimes. You say, preacher, what are some ways the devil's attacked you? And then shut your mouth and listen. I have a preacher friend in Wisconsin who this last year, he was ministering to a man in the church. This is all part of ministry. It's all part of ministry. He was ministering to a man in the church who was involved in drugs and involved in a wicked lifestyle, and he was trying to help him. The man said he was saved, and the pastor was trying to help him grow. And one night he showed up at the pastor's door at 2 o'clock in the morning. And he said, Pastor, I'm struggling. I'm struggling. I'm struggling with the flesh. The pastor said, well, come in. So he brought him in his house and talked to him. He said, I'm just struggling with things. I'm struggling with the flesh. He said, well, let's not struggle. He said, let's live in victory. The pastor got out his Bible. He said, look what the Bible says. He said, I don't care about that. I'm just struggling. He said, wait, wait, wait, wait. He said, if you're not interested in what the Bible says, you're going to continue to struggle. If you want victory, then you get in what the Bible says. The man stood up and said, Pastor, he said, it's not me doing it. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. He said, what? He said, it's not me doing it. He said, I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. He said, what? And the man's eyes went totally black. And then the man started to wrestle and fight with the pastor. He called his wife from the back. He called his son-in-law who was living downstairs. And this man hit him, knocked the pastor down. He's still struggling with eyesight in the eye in which he was hit. Finally, in a weakness moment, they were able to drag that guy outside and lock the door. And he's hitting a steel door and denting a steel door, screaming and yelling in the middle of the night. Ended up running around the neighborhood naked. That's full of demons. You mark my words. You mark my words. Not every preacher is attacked like that, but there are all kinds of infirmities and struggles. Very few people that I've met in my life understand what the preacher struggles with, understand that the devil is constantly on him. understand what it's like to be under the burden and not quite know exactly what's going on in the church, but know that there's a burden and something's not quite right, and then have the burden of the preaching of the Word of God and open, and thus saith the Lord, and get under that burden and see God move in a very, very mighty way. Very few people understand. I'll tell you, if you're on the attacking side of the gifts, you're on the wrong side of God. And watch, the Bible is very clear in this passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Paul said, if I'm going to glory, I'm going to glory in the things that concern my infirmities. What? Paul, you're doing that? Yep. Yep. Watch what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12. He said, it is not expedient for me, doubtless, to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell. God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven." You know who he's speaking of here? Himself. But he's showing his humility because he's speaking in third person. He's not speaking about himself. He's not speaking about himself directly. And I knew such a man, verse 3, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell. God knoweth how that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool. For I will say the truth, but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." Paul was saved. He was saved on his road to Damascus in Acts chapter number 9. And when he was saved, he came here. God took him sometime after he got saved into the Arabian desert and gave these visions and gave him great power. God began to use him in a mighty way. And I believe as a result of these visions and seeing the Lord on the road to Damascus, His eyes struggled. The Bible talks about how His eyes ran constantly. It talks about how He wrote with big letters. It talks about how he struggled. I personally believe that this thorn in the flesh was something wrong with his eyes. The very thing that he had depended upon before he was saved to see clearly, now he had to depend entirely upon the Lord in the matter. And the Scripture says here in 2 Corinthians 12, in verse 8, after this messenger of Satan or thorn in the flesh was given to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing, I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. I could serve you so much better if you'd just restore my eyesight, and I wouldn't have this running constantly. Why, the people at Corinth know that I'm in absence, I'm powerful when I write, but when I'm in presence, I'm not easy to look upon. Lord, please, if you'd just take this away, it would be so much easier for me to minister." And the Lord said, I won't do it. On a separate occasion, Paul came, and he said, Lord, would you heal my eyes? And the Lord said, no, I won't. On a third occasion, Paul came and said, Lord, would you please heal me? And the Lord said, No, I won't. Notice verse number nine. He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. What was he doing? He was glorying in his infirmities. You see, there is something great about rejoicing in the midst of your trials. Anybody can say, thank God it's them and not me and I'm not in the trial. And anybody can come out of the trial and say, whew, thank God that's over. It takes someone of character, someone of spiritual fortitude, someone who's depending upon the grace of God to in the middle of the trial say, glory. Just what pastor said. It wouldn't have been any kind of thing if the pastor was pastoring and shepherding his people and he didn't have a brain tumor. But here this brother has a brain tumor and he has the joy of God upon his heart and in his life. And it stands out as a neon sign for God's glory. You see, when you say glory in the middle of the fire, God gets glory. And that's why we're here in the first place. That's exactly why we go through these trials, so that God will get glory. It's not we respond in the middle of the trial with anger and hatred and resentment and bitterness and strife and envy and covetousness, but we respond saying, God, I don't know what You're doing, but I know that You're in charge, and I know that You're in control, and I'm trusting You no matter what. That's the response that's to be had. Lord, I'm going to rejoice. Now listen carefully. It doesn't mean that we're sadistically rejoicing about the trouble. I'm not talking about that. But we're rejoicing in God in the midst of the trouble. We're rejoicing that God has a plan that's bigger that I can't even see. We're rejoicing that God knows the end from the beginning and from everlasting to everlasting. He's God. That's what we're rejoicing in. We're rejoicing in this fact that the promises are true. Listen to me. What God brought you to in the light, don't doubt in the night. Do you see? He's rejoicing in the middle of the tribulation and in the middle of the trial. Jesus said this. Jesus said, when you're persecuted, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Wow. You say, preacher, that's a command. Yes, it is. You say, that's hard. Yes, it is. In fact, I'll go a step further. It's impossible. Without the help of God. Now watch here. You have 1. The promise of entering trials. 2. The purpose of enjoying trials. Would you say it? The purpose of enjoying trials. Would you say it again? The purpose of enjoying trials. 3. Go back to James 1 and let's see it. It says, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 3. There is the problem of escaping trials. There is the problem of escaping trials. Can I say it this way? It is a test! And if you don't take the test now, you'll have to take it later. If you don't pass the test, you'll have to take and pass it later. There's no use in you when God hands out a test, there's no use in you getting up and walking out of the classroom, quitting the course, Turning in your keys to your locker and giving up, that's not going to help you. Because somewhere along your Christian journey, you're going to come by this test again. You've got to pass this test to move on to the next level, to go to the next height of spirituality, to realize that God is with you. You've got to pass the test. And if you don't take it this time, and you don't pass it this time, there'll be another time. Now, why not just take it now? You see, the problem of escaping trials is, watch it, verse number 4, it says, let patience have her perfect work in you. Verse number 3, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. That patience isn't wrought in you. God is trying to work patience. He's trying to help you. And this is in the context of James. Look at James chapter 5. Look at it. Go to now, you rich man, weep and howl for your riches, for your miseries that shall come upon you. your riches are corrupted, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days." Watch verse 5, "'You have lived in pleasure on the earth and have been wanton. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed the just, and He doth not resist you.' Watch verse 7, "...be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." What's he saying? He's saying, hey, I want to work patience in you. Patience isn't a bad thing, it's a good thing. Most people say, I want patience and I want it now. That's not the way it works. Patience comes through suffering and learning how to not quit. You know what the idea is? When God puts you in a test, the idea is, look at me young people, look at me right now. Don't quit. My first pastor, growing up, would gather together young preacher boys, and he would put them down in a room and he would say, get out your dictionary. And they'd get out their dictionary. He'd say, find the word quit. And they'd find the word quit. And then he'd tell them to blot it out with a big black marker. Don't quit. He said, that's the idea. God's working in you something so that you're going to be able to endure a greater test. God's making you so that you'll be able to teach others by your example. God is working in you this matter of patience so that you'll be able to lead others in a right way. Don't quit. Yes, there's suffering. Yes, there's difficulty. Yes, there's times when we just feel like throwing in the towel and giving up. But the Bible says in Luke chapter 9 and verse 62, he that put his hand to the plow and looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs 24 and verse 10, that if thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. The Bible tells us in Galatians chapter 6, Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Jesus Christ did not quit. He got to the end of His course and He said, it is finished. He's the example. You can't say that you're a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ if you are not going to just stay at it and suffer long and endure the hardship and go through it to the end. This is a test. Hey, think about Abraham who just cut out. who just cut out of the battle. Think about it. You used to preach your howl. When did he do it? He was thinking, well, maybe God's promise to me, maybe it's not exactly yea and amen. And his wife, Sarah, encouraged the matter and said, it's not me that God's going to give this promise of a seed through. It's going to be someone else. And so she gave to him his handmaid, Hagar. You see, he was right in the midst of quitting, and they're still struggling with the matter, still to this day. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, don't quit. Don't give up. Think about John Mark. John Mark quit. Think of what he could've experienced if he'd just stayed with the apostle Paul. Think of what would've been avoided, a breach between Paul and Barnabas. Think of it, because he quit. He walked away. Demas, Paul said, hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. Something caused him to quit, to give up. I'll guarantee you, When you give up, there's no glory in the end for you to give to the Lord. You see, you ought to say glory in the midst of the trial. Number one is the promise of entering trials. Number two is the purpose of enjoying trials. Number three is the problem of escaping trials. Patience doesn't have her perfect work. But number four, I want you to notice the product of enduring trials. Look back at James chapter one. The product of enduring trials. Notice what the Bible says in James 1. It says in verse 3, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, makes you stronger. No pain, no gain, they say in the gym. Verse 4, but let patience have her perfect work, that she may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. You know what is the product of enduring trials? Maturity. Strength. Endurance. You've not given in and quit, so now there is the mantle of patience that God lays on you. And He's giving you strength so that you can bear up under more. Wow! You see, we want our kids to be mature, don't we? At your age, we tell them. We want our kids to be mature, but when God puts us through a trial, we want to give up. Hey, don't quit. Don't give up, because there's something that God is shaping you, something that God is doing with you. I was in a missionary's home, or a former missionary's home years ago, and he said, Dwight, when I was a missionary in Africa, he was a pastor in the States, he said, I got these. And he reached down underneath the couch, and he pulled out something, and he unwrapped the paper that was all around it, And it was a beautifully carved elephant tusk. It was just stunning, the ivory. It was given to him as a gift while he was there on the mission field. And he said, you know what the carver of this or the artist that made this said? When I said to him, how do you do that? He said, well, I just see the image in the object and I just cut away what doesn't belong. That's exactly what God's doing with our trials. He's cutting away what doesn't look like Jesus. You know the famous passage in Proverbs that says that God brings forth the vessel for the finer. When He purifies the silver, He removes the draw, so the vessel shall come forth for the finer. Alright, do you know what the purifier does? He heats it up. And coming to the top of that, little cauldron or pot is the dross and the impurity. He takes a ladle and he scrapes out the impurity and puts it on a sludge pile. And then he heats it up again. And more impurities come to the top. And he takes a ladle and he takes it out and throws it on a sludge pile. Do you know what his goal is? To be able to look down into that pot of silver and see his reflection. So that's why the Lord may be heating it up in your life. That's why He's put you through this trial, so that He can take away the dross and He can look down and finally see His reflection. The product of enduring trials is that you and I become more like the Lord Jesus than we used to be. This isn't a bad thing. This is a good thing. It's the best thing. Now watch. Number one is the promise of entering trials. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. Number two is the purpose of enjoying trials. Count it all joy. Number three is the problem of escaping trials. His perfect work will not be wrought in you. And number four is the product of enduring trials. I wonder if you're going through a trial right now. I wonder if you're going through a difficulty. I wonder if there's someone in this room right now that maybe is facing something that you weren't expecting, and that you didn't get in line for, and quite honestly, you don't like to think about it. I wonder what your response is going to be. Concerning this trial, you're going to say, God, thank you for it. Hey, anybody can thank God they're not in it, and thank God they're coming out of it. It takes grace to thank God in the middle of it. And do you know what happens when you thank God? God begins to work His work in you. A preacher friend of mine told me recently about a story. He and his evangelistic team were in a meeting in a church, and there was a 14-year-old girl there that some of the college-age kids that were on the evangelistic team had met, and they said to this preacher friend of mine, I've got to meet this girl. She's got incredible insight. She's virtually 14 years old and she seems to have some kind of a deep walk with God. So he sat down and he began to talk to her. He said, tell me your story. She said, well, I was saved when I was just about 10 or 11 years old. And she said, I was saved and I wasn't saved in a Christian home. I was saved out of a home that was anything but Christian. She said, I came to church, and I started coming to church and growing and hearing the Word. And she said, while I was at church one day, after everybody had gone, I was waiting for a ride. Somebody was supposed to come and pick me up. And she said, while I was waiting outside, a man pulled up, grabbed me, put me in his car, and took me off and raped me. She was just 11 or 12. She said, he came and brought me off and dropped me off at the church after it was all over and her ride came and she went home just absolutely traumatized. She said, when I told my dad, he got angry and exploded at me and told me to be quiet and forget about it. She said, I went to my mom and told my mom and she had the exact same response. And she said, I didn't know what to do. But she said, sometime shortly after that, I began to remember that some of the things I'd been taught early on after I'd been saved, that God is good and that God is wise. And she said, I was laying in bed one night crying and she said, I just started to thank God. Thank God and praise Him that He was good and that He was wise and thank Him even that I went through this." And she said, when I did, the shackles came off and the bitterness fled and the light flooded my heart. And she said, I was able to face it. Do you know why? Because she thanked God in the midst of it and she thanked God for it. That's what I'm talking about. saying glory in the midst of the trial. Not that that's good. That was a bad thing. But when you thank God in the midst of the trial and for the trial, two things happen. Your spiritual strength is revealed and your spiritual strength is increased. Now I wonder if there's someone in this room who's been going through a difficulty, and maybe it's from interpersonal conflicts, which are some of the most difficult to understand, and you have not thanked God for it, and it's been months and maybe years, and you're still struggling with the weight of bitterness. Tonight, God wants you to say, God, I'm going to say glory. He said, preacher, you were in that Fenton blown glass company and you were telling us about that second furnace. Yes, we went through the process. They told us what happened after they took it out of the second furnace and they molded it and they put a little handle on this picture and then they set it on a conveyor belt that was two hours for it to cool down. Then we went into the gift shop and we looked around and then they took us into the museum of the Fenton blown glass and we watched the whole presentation on video again. You know what that second furnace is called? The glory hole. Now, I probably wouldn't have been so keen on it, except that right at that time, we were in the middle of the, I was in the middle of a trial that I didn't like and I didn't understand, but I was right in the middle of it. And they said, that second furnace is called the glory hole. And right there in the middle of the presentation, I said, amen. They looked around at me, what in the world? This isn't a church service. What's the matter with this kook? Afterwards I tried to find out why they called it the glory hole and nobody could really tell me but you know what? I did find out You know what the purpose of that second furnace is So that the peace will remain moldable and If for nothing else God may be putting you through a trial just to keep you moldable Say glory When you're in the fire, would you bow with me?