Afflicted But Assigned: Staying Faithful in the Fire
I want to begin with this very profound statement today: Affliction does not disqualify us from divine purpose—it often confirms it.
To put in another way - Affliction does not cancel divine assignment—it confirms it.
When we walk through the fire, we often wonder if God is still with us, if we’re still called, or if we somehow disqualified ourselves.
But Scripture reveals that many who carried divine assignments were refined through affliction, not excluded from it.
So what is divine assignment?
It is the unique, God-ordained purpose on a person's life—a calling that advances His kingdom, blesses others, and brings Him glory. It is not self-appointed or man-assigned. It is given by God Himself, often before others even recognize it.
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
We won’t focus on Jeremiah today, but this verse shows us that it is God who assigns. It is God who does the choosing, the appointing, and the equipping.
We can ask the question: How do others recognize divine assignment in someone?
Often, through the fruit of obedience, the endurance in adversity, and the undeniable presence of God upon a person’s life—even when circumstances don't look like favour.
Divine assignment often attracts both spiritual opposition and divine assistance.
Take Hagar, for instance. She was an Egyptian slave, used, mistreated, and eventually cast out into the wilderness—twice. She was afflicted by her status, rejected by her mistress, and left alone with her child. But even there, God met her.
Genesis 16:13 (NLT): “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’”
In that moment of affliction, God gave her a prophetic word about her son’s future. She wasn’t a priest, prophet, or ruler—yet God assigned her to raise a son whose destiny would impact nations.
Then consider Esther. A Jewish girl taken into the Persian palace, made queen under unusual circumstances. When her people were threatened with destruction, her position suddenly came into focus—not as privilege, but as divine placement.
Esther 4:14 (NLT): “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place… Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Esther was afflicted by fear, pressure, and the possibility of death. Yet in the fire of decision, she found her divine assignment. Her obedience brought deliverance to her people.
Elijah is another example. After confronting the prophets of Baal and experiencing a dramatic spiritual victory, Elijah ran in fear and despair.
1 Kings 19:4 (ESV): “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’”
Even in that valley, God did not revoke Elijah’s assignment. Instead, He visited him, strengthened him, and recommissioned him.
God reminded Elijah: Your assignment is not over because you're weary. Affliction doesn't void your calling—it shapes it.
Then let’s look at Mary, the mother of Jesus. Chosen, yet afflicted. Favoured, yet pierced with sorrow. From a scandalous pregnancy to watching her Son crucified, her journey was far from easy.
Luke 2:35 (NIV): “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Yet Mary’s “yes” to God positioned her in the center of the greatest divine assignment ever fulfilled—bringing the Saviour into the world.
And then there’s the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Ordered to bow to a golden image or face death, they chose obedience over compromise.
Daniel 3:25 (NIV): “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
They were literally in the fire. Yet they were not alone. And their assignment—to stand as witnesses of the true God—was confirmed through affliction. Their boldness changed a nation.
Jesus, Family, is our ultimate example. Jesus embraced His assignment knowing it would lead to suffering. In Gethsemane, He confronted the weight of affliction and still surrendered to the mission.
Luke 22:42 (KJV): “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
Jesus was afflicted, but He was also divinely assigned. His assignment was not comfortable, but it was eternal. And because He stayed faithful in the fire, today you and I have salvation.
You may wonder, “How can I tell if I’ve been divinely assigned?”
Look at the burden God has placed in your heart. Look at the resistance you face. Look at the doors He opens despite your affliction. When God's hand is on you, even trials become tools, and the fire becomes a forge. The fire is no longer an enemy but a tool in the hands of the Refiner.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT) reminds us: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now…”
Today Family, for those of us in the fire, the encouragement is: don’t walk away from your assignment. Stay faithful. Heaven sees. God assigns. And the fire will not consume you—it will commission you.
aub - 15May25
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