Don't Run Through the Fire; Walk by Maddie Vermilye
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
Life as a believer is not easy, but God never promised it would be. Everyone encounters trials throughout their lives. As a 20-year-old, there are many things I have not encountered yet such as career choices, starting a family, parenting children, or being completely self-supported. However, there is still a good list of things I have encountered: working to pay the bills I do have, finding friendships that push me towards Jesus, resisting temptations, navigating high school and now college, dating, rejection, heartbreak, family issues, success, failure, and the list goes on.
A little over a year ago, I experienced a trial that was heartbreaking for me. My boyfriend, who I had been dating for three years, broke up with me. We had lots of future plans which included going to college together and eventually getting married. But suddenly, I found myself devastated. In the middle of this raging storm, I panicked. I was immediately flooded with questions like “Why did this happen?” and “What am I going to do now?” All the plans I had for my life were gone in an instant.
I was so lost, but I knew panicking would only make the situation worse. So that night, I decided to go straight to Jesus. It is important to realize in the midst of the fire, you are not alone. Take heart; children of God have the greatest comfort in the darkest situations. When it feels like you have no one to talk to and when you can’t find the comfort or peace your heart naturally desires, turn to Jesus. He is there waiting for you, even in the hardest of times. That is a 100% guarantee. He walks right alongside us. You desperately need His presence to survive the storm. Once you begin to turn to Him, you will realize you are never alone.
Psalms 34:17-18 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
The passage from Isaiah and the title of this article all connect to the central idea of walking through the fire.
Now I don’t know about you, but when my world comes crashing down, the last thing I want to do is take a nice, long stroll through the rubble. But oddly enough, that’s kind of what we’re supposed to do. The passage clearly says, “when you walk through the fire”. Running is what people do when they’re scared or anxious. The Bible says not to run, but to walk through the storm trusting God all the way.
I get this image in my head of when people try to walk barefoot over hot coals. God brought us to this fire, and guess what, He will bring us out of it. We just have to hold his hand and start walking. He is always faithful, and His promises are always true. I know that it is easier said than done, but when you land in a storm, don’t panic and sprint off. Slow down and see what the Lord wants to show you and how He might be trying to grow you through this trial.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9
To understand why you don’t have to run, you must first realize that God is in control. He is our protector, so we don’t have to run in fear. This passage from Isaiah and several others is clear that the storms of life will come. It doesn’t say “if” you pass through fire but “when” you pass through the fire. This may seem stressful or intimidating, but we don’t have to worry. As believers, we have the opportunity to place our confidence in God. He is sovereign and in control. You may be in the middle of raging waters right now and unable to see the shore. But that is okay. We don’t have to know the outcome, because it is not in our control anyway. Instead, we can have confidence in God. We can trust that He knows the outcome, and He is working all things together for our good and His glory.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
The God we serve reigns over all the universe. He can absolutely handle the waves and fires in each of our lives. Our passage from Isaiah is clear, the fire will not consume us. God will bring us through every single time. The breakup I mentioned was hard and required a long process of healing. Today, though, I can say with confidence, that the Lord did bring me through it. He mended a hole in my heart that I genuinely thought was beyond repair, and He overwhelmed me with a peace that surpassed all understanding. He brought me to a place where I was no longer looking for answers to all my questions. Recently, He has even reconciled our differences and restored a friendship between us. Jesus took this situation and not only brought healing to me, but He turned it into something beautiful to share. The lessons I learned in that fire have allowed me to minister to many other girls who are going through the same thing. When that storm hit, the first thing I wanted to do was run, but I am so glad I didn’t. It was extremely hard and very painful, but the Lord strengthened my soul and encouraged daily me to move forward. He has brought me through the storm every time, and no matter what I may encounter, I know He will do it again.
Are you walking or running through the fire you’re in right now?
Do you have confidence that the Lord will bring you through it?
“Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace within difficulties.” -C.S. Lewis
My name is Maddie Vermilye. I am 23 years old and a recent college graduate as of May 2021. Writing is my passion and has been critical in getting me through these past few months of transition. My hope in my career and life is to use my God-given gift of writing to inspire and encourage other women in their life and towards Him.