When the Fire Comes

Have you ever faced a season so challenging, so hot with pressure, so overwhelming that it felt like you were walking through fire?

Let me start with a story. Several years ago, wildfires ravaged vast areas in California. One elderly couple, returning to the charred remains of what was once their home, walked through the ash and debris with heavy hearts. But amid the total devastation, they found something remarkable—an old, fire-baked ceramic plaque still sitting on the fireplace. It read, “God is faithful.”

And He is.

You see, the fires of life—those spiritual, emotional, financial, or physical trials—threaten to consume us. But they also reveal to us something invaluable: God is not absent in the fire. In fact, God is there like He has always promised.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.” (Isaiah 43:2 NKJV)

Notice it doesn’t say IF you pass through deep waters—it says WHEN. Every believer must walk through difficulty. But here’s the promise: you won’t walk through it alone.

Let’s explore four truths about trusting God through the trials we face.

I. God’s Promise: He Is With Us in Trials

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah 43:2 NKJV)  

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NKJV)

Let’s be real—when you’re in the middle of hardship, you may feel like God’s a million miles away. But that feeling is not the fact.

According to Isaiah and Psalms, God is not distant in our trials—He is near. In fact, He’s often more evident during our suffering than in our smooth sailing.

Think about your own life. When did you feel you grew closest to God? It wasn’t when everything was easy. It was when everything seemed to fall apart—and you found He was holding everything together.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego comes to mind. Thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow to an idol, they should have perished. But what did King Nebuchadnezzar see?

He said, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:24–25 NKJV)

In the fire, they met Jesus.

Think about that. The fire that was meant to destroy them became the place where they encountered the very presence of God.

Let that sink in. The place designed to burn you down might just be the place where God shows up and walks with you.

II. God Shapes Our Faith in the Fire

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2–3 NKJV)  

Let me make a confession—my first reaction in trials is rarely joy. I doubt I’m alone. But James says we are to count it all joy when we fall into trials?

Why? Because God is not just protecting us—He’s perfecting us.

“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…” (1 Peter 1:7 NKJV)

Think about gold. It’s purified through fire. Gold doesn’t fear the fire—it needs it. The fire doesn’t change the gold—it reveals it.

Your faith is the same. Trials don’t create your faith; they show the quality of your faith. And in fire, impurities rise to the surface—fear, doubt, pride—and God refines us.

A quote from A.W. Tozer puts it this way:  

“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”  

That sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But what Tozer is getting at is the truth that deeply tested faith becomes deeply rooted trust.

Sometimes we pray, “Lord, make me more like You.” But then we freak out when fiery trials come. Scripture assures us: the fire is doing just that—it’s shaping us.

What if we stopped seeing fire as punishment and started seeing it as preparation?

III. God Has Purpose in Every Trial

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV)  

I know it’s hard to hear when you’re in pain, but it’s true: God has a purpose for your trial.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things—yes, even the bad ones—are ingredients in God’s mixing bowl to bring about good.

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10 NKJV)

Not all things are good. Cancer isn’t good. Divorce isn’t good. Abuse isn’t good. But our God is a Redeemer. He can take broken pieces and create something beautiful.

Job understood this at a gut level. After losing his children, his health, his wealth, and even the support of his wife and friends, Job declared—

 “He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10 NKJV)

Imagine watching someone make a cake. Would you want to taste a raw egg by itself? Probably not. What about a spoonful of flour? Gross, right? But when the ingredients are mixed together and placed in the oven—they become something sweet.

Your life is the same. God is mixing the good, the bad, the ugly—and yes, the heat is necessary—to produce something that will nourish others and glorify Him. We have to realize life isn’t always about us. Our lives can minister to others. 

He is not a careless chef. He is the Master Baker. Trust the hands you’re in.

IV. Responding to Trials with Trust

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV)  

So… how do we respond when life gets hard? Do we panic, try to fix everything, control people, stay up all night, overthink? Or do we lean in to trust?

Trusting is hard when we don’t understand. But Scripture tells us—we’re not meant to understand; we’re meant to believe.

It doesn’t say, “Understand all His ways.” It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…”  (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV)

Did you know that the first thing swimmers are told when drowning is to stop flailing? The struggle makes them sink faster. But the moment they stop fighting and learn to float—it saves them.

Maybe that’s a word for someone today. Stop flailing. Be still.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV)

Stillness doesn’t mean pretending it doesn’t hurt. Stillness means we choose surrender. We say, “God, even when I don’t see a way—I know You are the Way.”

Let your trials draw you closer, not harden your heart. Trust the God who walks beside you.

Faith That Endures the Fire

Let’s return to where we started:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… the rivers shall not overflow you.” (Isaiah 43:2 NKJV)

No matter what fire you’ve walked through—or are walking through now—you are not walking alone. He is with you.

Not only that, but you are being shaped, refined, and renewed.

And if you wonder whether God really sees you, listen to what He says just one verse earlier:

“But now, thus says the LORD… ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV)

You are His. That’s your identity. That’s your security. And that’s where your faith can stand—even through the fire.

Call to Action

If you’re in a fire today—don’t walk through it alone.

Let the fire forge faith. Let it refine your hope. Let it bring you deeper into the presence of the One who never leaves your side.

Closing Prayer

Father,  

Thank You that fires don’t intimidate You. In fact, You move right into the center of them with us. For every broken heart, every wounded soul, every uncertain step—we ask for Your comfort, Your presence, and Your refining work. Teach us to trust You. Let our faith deepen as we walk through the fire—knowing You walk right beside us. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils