Sabbath: The Crucibles that Come
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Peter 4:12-19, 1 Peter 5:8-11, Romans 1:21-32, Jeremiah 9:7-16, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
Memory Text: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13, , NKJV).
In chemistry labs one often places various materials into a small container and heats them to extreme temperatures. As the container becomes hotter, the materials either melt, fizzle, spit, or burn brightly, depending upon what they are made of. The container is called a crucible.
A crucible is defined in the dictionary as (1) a vessel used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat, (2) a severe test, (3) a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development.
These definitions also give us a helpful insight into what happens in our spiritual lives. This week we’ll highlight some reasons we may suddenly find ourselves under pressure and experiencing tests in places in which circumstances cause us to change, develop, and grow in character. This will help to give us an awareness of what God is doing in our lives so that when we enter a crucible, we will have an idea of how to respond.
The Week at a Glance: What are the causes of the difficult times that we experience through our lives?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 9.
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Most of us have done science practical classes in school where we have used bunsen burners, tripods, clay triangles, and crucibles. Typically we would place something in the crucible that we wanted to heat to a high temperature and then apply the bunsen burner flame until it dried out, burned, or in some cases exploded. I moved on from these "safe" school experiments to the real stuff in a commercial laboratory. Here we had a muffle furnace that would reach temperatures of over 1000C accurately. They would draw 15 amps of electricity and send the power consumption meter into a state of apoplexy. You would not want to pay the power bill if it was in your house.
We treated all kinds of chemicals in the muffle furnace. Most of the time it was used to get the ash residue from food samples. We placed a weighed sample of food in a crucible and then put it in the muffle furnace until all the volatile organic compounds had burned away. Then we could perform tests on the mineral content of the food. Talk about overcooking!
Muffle furnaces were designed to run at high temperatures for a long time. Typical procedures lasted hours and often involved programmed heating temperatures.
Difficulties in our lives are sometimes referred to as crucible experiences, and the very worst of these not only turn up the heat but last for a very long time. Not all of them are of our own making. My wife and I are going through a traumatic experience right now with her aging parents. Hard decisions have to be made and Christian platitudes have a hollow sound. It is not a game that you can quit when you don't like the outcome. Do I have all the answers to crucible experiences? Definitely not. This weeks lesson is a timely one for me.
When the decision is made based on love and not from selfish reasons ,then awkward or selfish it may appear to the outsider ,we need to go ahead and do it anyway .
Some readers may be familiar with the board-game Monopoly. I remember one of my first times playing with a guy that was older and more experienced than me. I pretty much wound up losing everything to him. Why? This guy understood well the 'big picture' of how the game worked. Armed with this knowledge, his every move was directed at negotiating whatever happened in response to the roll of the dice in such a way that it advanced his goal - to win. I, on the other hand, had no idea of the 'big picture' - the principles involved. Consequently, I had nothing to guide my individual moves which were essentially haphazard.
This week's lesson, whether you notice it or not, draws upon the 'big picture' of life and living: who are the 'key players' and what are the key principles involved? This involves issues such as what is the nature and character of the 'key players' involved? And relatedly, what is the nature and character of the key principles they each use and the realities they each represent? Each of you will have at least some sense of the answers to these questions - whether you have consciously considered these questions or not and whether you are aware of having a conscious sense of these questions or their answers. Perhaps this week we can discuss these things to further clarify our awareness of some of the 'big picture' realities and how they are involved in the crucible experiences we will likely inevitably find ourselves in sooner or later... and may well be in right now...
Question in study:
What are the #causes of the difficult times#
that we experience through our lives:
1. Natural disasters.
2. Sickness that lead to death in loved ones and self.
3. Pandemics
4. Migration
5. Famine
6. Jobless, bankruptcy, loss of accommodation.
7. Religious persecution.
8. Earthquakes
9. Divorce
10.Discrimination
Etc ...
In The Sanctuary Service by M.L. Andreasen, the chapter, Meat or Meal Sacrifice talks about the ministry of suffering. There are some insightful statements related to suffering or experiencing a crucible in one's life that can apply to the lesson. Here's one quote from this chapter as an example of what I mean: "Few lives are of real or enduring value to mankind until they are bruised and crushed. It is in the deep experiences of life that men find God." (Andreasen, 110)
I have always admired people who can stay calm in the presence of danger or extreme circumstances. My daughter was calm, much calmer than I, when at 8:30AM a 7.5 earthquake, with the epic center only 15 miles as the crow flies away from us, shook our part of the world. She had just closed the door behind her to go to work, when the house started to shake violently, dislodging everything that was not heavy or secured.
We hosted guests from Florida at that time, and all experienced the earthquake differently. My daughter knew not to go to work but come back inside to see what needed to get done to deal with the aftermath. Smaller quakes followed, but after the initial assessment of the damage, we all started to clean up; our guests were more composed than I, commenting that they are ‘used to the clean-up’ after hurricanes’, they said.
One event, three experiences, but the same response by taking immediate action – respond with calm, focused, attention to what it takes to move on from that experience – 'clean up'! Generally, this is how I respond to challenges – assess the changes having taken place, pick up the still usable pieces, and move on.
Peter advises his listeners to ‘not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you’. There is no doubt, we will experience spiritual and physical battels which we are called upon to respond to. The dictionary definition of a crucible is a good metaphor to picture what life is – the vessel in which at times ‘the concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development..’
My sisters and I are also going through a crucible experience with my 94 year old father. He does not have a visible walk with the Lord, frequently curses, will not go to doctors appointments, lives at home in self isolation, drinks, will not consent to or cooperate with some things we can do to improve his quality of life experience, etc., etc., Our mother went to her rest earlier this year. All we can do is care for him to the best of our ability and pray. Platitudes although well meaning are not very helpful, but they do let you know that others are praying for and with you. With many of life’s crucibles isn’t that all we can really do, is seek the Lord in Prayer? Blessings on you brother and others going through personal crucibles.
One comforting thought as we go through the crucibles that come is: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover me with His feathers, And under His wings I shall take refuge; His truth shall be my shield and buckler. Psalms 91:1-5.
Now why would God do all this for me a sinner? God answered and said: because he has set his love upon Me, I will deliver him...he shall call on Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in time of trouble...I will show him My salvation. Psalms 91:14-16.
That picture for today is intriguing. I like the color and texture. But I cannot figure out what is on fire?!