Faith Through the Fire

Just yesterday, my husband and I reminisced on one of the most trying seasons that we’ve ever been through. We took a leap of faith and obeyed God, but what happened next was almost inconceivable. You see, we thought our faith would be followed with a reward from God. We thought He would bless us immediately following our obedience, but as you can imagine, that’s not what happened. Instead, we went through a season of lack. A year without having what we needed…it was rough, not just for us, but for our children as well. From the outside looking in, we made a foolish decision. Most people would not have done what we did, but that’s because it didn’t make any sense. There was no logical reason why we’d take such a risk, except faith…except the fact that we trusted God more than our own understanding.

Faith must be tested.

When we step out in faith, we are showing that we trust God through our actions, but that level of trust must be tested. It’s easy to trust God when everything is going well. It’s easy to trust Him when there is little risk…when we can see a way out. But can we trust Him when it feels like everything is falling apart? Can we trust Him when we can’t see how the situation will work out? If we truly believe that God is for us…that He has our backs…we have to be able to trust Him through whatever comes our way.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6‭-‬7 NLT)

If you want to see the fruit of your faith, you must be willing to go through the fire.

In the book of Daniel, we read about the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men are known for their great faith in God. How do we know their faith was great? Because it was tested. They had so much faith in God, that they were willing to be thrown in a blazing furnace alive. They reasoned that their God was powerful enough to save them.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16‭-‬18 NLT)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t just speak their faith, they allowed their faith to be tested. They proved that their commitment to God was unshakable. They made the decision that they would worship the one true King alone…no matter the cost…even to the point of death.

Every journey of faith will be tested. There will be times when you’ll face a choice. Will you give in to your fears? Or will you trust God no matter what?

I have to say that in my journey, this choice was daily. Will I continue to trust the word that God spoke to me? Will I continue to trust that He’ll make a way in this impossible situation? Or will I give in to my fears and do what makes sense? Honestly, the situation was terrifying. But over and over again, I made the decision to trust God…and now, I am living in the fruit of my faith.

I can’t stress enough how important this process is. If we aren’t willing to walk through the fire, we will never see the amazing things that God has planned for us. Yes, the fire may be terrifying, but we are never alone in it.

But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” (Daniel 3:24‭-‬25 NLT)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren’t alone in the fire, and we won’t be alone in the fire. We serve Immanuel. He is God with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. It doesn’t matter what difficulties we go through…it doesn’t matter how hard it gets. We are never alone.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2 NLT)

God is with us every step of the way. He protects us, and ensures that we are not consumed. But it gets even better. He uses the fire to strengthen and purify us.

I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zechariah 13:9 NLT)

There was a season of my life when I was believing for my marriage to be healed. I can remember feeling like our situation was getting better, like we had taken a step forward, but then all of the sudden, our situation would get much worse, like we had taken two steps back. This happened many times, and I remember how devastated I felt each time. But, what’s crazy is that after each occurrence, God brought us to a better place of healing than before. Each time I thought we were taking two steps back, we were being refined. God was sifting through our relationship. He was breaking us down, so that He could build us back up according to His design. He was putting us through the fire…He was leading us towards our promise.

The fire is necessary for your promise.

What promise has God given you? Is it restoration in your marriage or family? Is it provision for your purpose, or another area of your life? If you are walking in faith towards anything, I want you to know that your faith will be tested. There will be situations that cause you to question whether or not you made the right decision. There will be days when you’ll feel alone in the fire, but I want to reassure you that you are not. You have a Savior that will never leave your side. He is right there with you…ensuring that you aren’t consumed…ensuring that the fire brings you closer to the promise that He has for you. But if you want to see that promise, you must persist, you must have faith through the fire. You must keep moving…you must keep believing. He will not fail you. So trust in Him.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for never leaving my side. Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for ensuring that every trial leads me closer to the promise that you have for me. Today, I choose to place my trust in you. I will follow you, and obey your instructions…no matter the cost. I believe that you will make a way for me. I believe that you will never fail me. I will wait patiently for your promise. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.