Wild Forge
There’s something beautiful—and brutal—about forging a knife.
I remember the first time I used a cheaply made knife on a wilderness survival course, early in my career. It looked great on the outside, but the first time I batoned it through a thick log, the blade snapped clean in half in front of over 30 students. That knife hadn’t been forged. It had been shaped—but never tested. And when it mattered, it failed. I learned the hard way the difference between a knife that had been through the forge and one that hadn’t.
To forge a knife, the metal must endure intense heat. It has to be pounded, shaped, and hammered again and again. It starts as a raw, unremarkable piece of steel. On its own, it’s useless in battle and unfit for purpose. But in the hands of a skilled blacksmith, that steel becomes something entirely different—something strong, sharp, and able to stand up to serious testing. Not in spite of the fire, but because of it.
Then, the knife is quenched—plunged into oil or water. This quenching process hardens the steel but makes it brittle. After the initial forging and hardening, the blade still isn’t ready. It needs to be tempered—reheated at a lower temperature to reduce brittleness. Without tempering, a blade is brittle. Without fire, it’s weak. It’s a relentless process of controlled pressure and purpose.
Which knife would you rather have in a wilderness survival scenario—one that looks good on the outside or one that’s been through the fire and is ready for battle?
What kind of knife are you?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, you’re just like that piece of steel, and God is the blacksmith.
God doesn’t want to see your life snap under pressure. He wants you to endure, and that means you have to go through the fire first.
Isaiah 48:10 says:
"See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."
We often think that pain is punishment, but in God's hands, pain has purpose. We are refined—not rejected—in the heat of life’s hardest seasons.
James 1:2–4 urges us to:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Testing produces strength. And God doesn’t allow the hammer to fall without shaping something in us. But God doesn’t just throw us into trials and leave us there. He walks with us through seasons of fire, then gently brings us into seasons of healing and recalibration. The goal isn’t to break us—it’s to build something balanced, strong, and useful.
1 Peter 1:7 says:
“…so that the proof of your faith—being more precious than gold which perishes, though tested by fire—may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
God doesn’t waste pain. He uses the fire to shape us, the pounding to strengthen us, and the testing to reveal what we’re made of. The trials in your life aren’t signs that God has abandoned you—they’re signs that He’s forming you for a greater purpose. Your valley, your loss, your unanswered prayer, your disappointment—it’s all part of the forge.
The truth is, a blade can’t be trusted unless it’s been tested.
Sometimes, you’re going to fail. I’ve failed. Some of my biggest regrets are from moments when I’ve failed a test of my faith, when I’ve done something out of character, compromised my integrity, or fallen short of God’s expectations for me. But those are also the moments that God has used to shape me the most. Failure does not equal brokenness, and it does not mean the tool cannot still be used!
Scripture is full of men and women forged by fire. Joseph was betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned—only to be raised up as a rescuer. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before God called him to lead. Even Jesus didn’t begin His ministry until He had walked through the wilderness. God always prepares His vessels through hardship. The forge precedes the calling. Sometimes the hardship is a direct consequence of our actions, and sometimes it just happens.
Romans 5:3–5 adds:
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame…"
So if you feel like the heat is on and the blows just keep coming, take heart. You’re not being destroyed. You’re being shaped. God is forming something in you that will stand through storms, resist temptation, and be ready for battle. He’s not after your comfort—He’s after your strength. And He’s after your heart.
Maybe you’re in the fire right now. Maybe life has felt like one hard blow after another—loss, disappointment, anxiety, burnout, unanswered prayers. It’s easy to believe God is distant in those seasons. But what if He’s right there at the anvil, lovingly forming you for a purpose you can’t yet see? What if what feels like a breakdown is actually a build-up?
2 Corinthians 4:17–18 reminds us:
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen..."
A forged blade isn’t made to stay on display—it’s made for the field. For the mission. For the fight. That’s what God is shaping in you. A life that doesn’t break under pressure. A faith that cuts through lies. A spirit ready to stand strong for the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus returns, the testing of your faith won’t be wasted. It will shine. It will bring glory to God. And that’s a promise!
The fire is real. But so is your purpose.
You may not be able to control the fire, but you can choose how you respond to it. If you're feeling the heat right now, don’t rush out of the forge—lean into what God is doing in you. Here are a few ways to reflect, pray, and seek His purpose in the wild this week:
IN THE WILD
Verse to Contemplate:
“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
— Isaiah 48:10 (NIV)
Questions for the Wilderness Journal:
What current or past trial in your life feels like the forge?
Have you ever mistaken God's refining process for punishment? What shifted your perspective?
In what ways has your faith been tested? How did you respond?
What part of your life still needs to be surrendered to the forge—tempered, shaped, and made strong?
What strength, character, or insight has come from a season of fire in your life?
Prayer of the Day:
Father, I don’t always understand the fire, but I trust You as the blacksmith. Shape me, strengthen me, and don’t stop until I become who You created me to be. Help me to endure the blows, embrace the heat, and hold tightly to the truth that You are with me through every trial. I give You full permission to forge me for Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wilderness Application:
Spend time outdoors by a campfire or in front of a fireplace. Reflect on how fire transforms what it touches. Ask God what He wants to refine in you.
Go on a hike with a trusted, forged tool—like a knife—and think about its journey to usefulness. What parallels do you see in your own spiritual walk?
Sketch or journal a picture of your “forge” season. What has God hammered away? What is He shaping?
Collect a rock or piece of metal from the trail as a reminder: strength isn’t found in comfort, but in refinement.
Write a note to your future self—someone who has come through the forge. What do you want them to remember about God’s faithfulness in the fire?