When It’s You In The Fire

When things aren’t going as planned, how do you trust God in your circumstances?

What does it really take when life flips upside down? And what does that kind of trust even look like?

I’ve got friends right now who are literally fighting for their lives. Disease. Cancer. Rare diagnoses.

The kinds of things you read about, but never think will knock on your front door. But then one day, they do. And when that day comes, the world doesn’t spin the same anymore.

The truth is, you and I are just one phone call, one doctor’s report, one freak moment away from something that could shake us to the core. And when it happens—when life hits hard and pain won’t go away—where is God in all of this?

Let me say it plainly: God has not left the room.

He sees. He knows. And He walks through the fire right beside you.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” (Isaiah 43:2, NCV)

Did you catch that? God says “when”—not “if.” Trouble is not optional in this life. But neither is His presence.

You may feel crushed. You may feel numb or uncertain. But God is not absent in your pain. In fact, He’s closest when the pain runs deepest.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NCV)

So what does it look like to trust Him in the middle of it all?

It looks like prayer. It looks like pleading. It looks like surrender. It’s time to cry out to God for help.

And if, for reasons only He understands, He decides to call you home, then it’s time to settle the question of eternity in your life and reconcile death.

It’s time to place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It’s time to squarely look at death and say:

“Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your pain?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, NCV)

It’s time to let others pray for you - pray for healing, for peace, for faith. It’s time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you, because that’s exactly what He was sent to do.

“The Helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.” (John 14:26, NCV)

And it’s time to speak up. Let people know you are trusting God. Let them know your faith in Jesus is real.

Tell them you’re asking the Holy Spirit for strength, for healing - and yes, even for peace with going home to God.

Because death, for the believer, is not a period. It’s a comma. It’s a transition.

It’s not the end. It’s the beginning of eternity.

But if death is not on the table for you - if God chooses to give you more time - then thank Him. Thank Him for the chance to love Him, love others, forgive, and live like Jesus really is Lord.

I know, to some this all might sound like religious mumbo jumbo. But when life gets real, faith has to get real too. So it’s time.

It’s time to act on the faith you’ve professed. It’s time to possess what you profess.

Call on God. Over and over. Every day. Nag Him. Beg Him. Talk to Him. Ask Him for help.

And remember—He is God. We are not. He calls the shots. We are stewards. He is the Creator. We are the creation.

And He has promised this:

“I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NCV)

And He means it.

LORD, please help my friends today. Help anyone who needs you right now. Just… please help. IJNIP amen ♥️