“…the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned.
Is it useful for any work?
Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it.
How much less will it be useful for any work
when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?”
Ezekiel 15:3-5

Many years ago I was in such a devastating situation that I was sure my life was over. I cried out to the Lord saying, “your Word says ‘When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.’” (Isaiah 43:2) “But I am destroyed.” I was in a state of utter despair.

This was on a winter night and I was alone in the downstairs family room. The Lord spoke to me saying, “Go to the woodstove and open the door.”

“What???”

So I went over to the woodstove and opened the door. He said, “What do you see?”

The fire had gone out and all I could see was a log of wood totally charred. Then the Lord said, “that log of wood is totally destroyed and can never be used again. Not so with you. You are NOT destroyed so that you cannot be used again. I will yet use you.”

That was many years ago and though I doubted that I’d ever survive it, I can joyfully tell that after that story was complete in my life, the Lord gave me a whole new call and he did absolute wonders in my life. He totally restored me.

If you feel your circumstances are hopeless – it may seem that way to you. But God sees it differently. Not only will he restore you and use you again, but the circumstance you are so despairingly in will enable you later to minister to others who will need reassurance from someone who has gone through something similar and has come out to victory.