When Trials and Tribulations Keep You in the Fire.

I asked the Lord to quench the flame,
To end the pain, to stop the rain,
To lift the weight upon my chest,
And give my weary spirit rest.

I cried, “My Father, I am tired,
This road has taken all I desired.
How long must I continue here?
How long must I walk through fear?”

But through the smoke I heard no voice,
No thunder, nor a sudden choice.
Yet somehow, when I could not stand,
I felt the touch of nail-scarred hands.

The mountain still stood tall and wide,
The valley still stretched far beside.
The fire had not yet disappeared,
But somehow I was no longer feared.

For I had learned what faith can be:
Not always chains that disappear,
But knowing Christ is still with me
When every road is filled with fear.

So if today your strength is gone,
And you cannot see another dawn,
Just whisper, “Jesus, stay with me.”

And trust the One you cannot see.

*🔥 When the Fire Seems to Have No End.*

*🙏 Opening Prayer.*

_Heavenly Father, I come before You this morning._

_I have attempted to pray this morning before, but now I am praying in more earnest for this devotion._

_Lord, You are the One who deserves all honour, all glory, and all praise. We are always reminded by the words of Jesus how we should pray. We begin by saying, “Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”_

_Lord, this is important. We want to honour You._

_Even though the world is falling apart around us, there are killers murdering women, and we pray that those responsible will be brought to justice. There are financial woes that simply do not seem to go away. The cost of living has become so expensive._

_Then there are our own battles. Our network has become unstable, and I am already at my wit's end because I do not know what is causing it. I do not know what else to do. I have contacted the fibre company, and still I find myself frustrated and exhausted._

_Then there is the poverty that so many of us experience. Not just myself and Julian, but probably many people reading this devotion are struggling financially._

_It becomes difficult even to have variety in our diets. Sometimes we eat the same things over and over because that is what we can afford. We buy a small amount of beef and stretch it into curries and stews. Eggs become another dependable meal. Mince is another option. Occasionally we are blessed with some chicken._

_Even buying food is difficult when the nearest large stores are several kilometres away, and prices seem to rise constantly. Ordering online brings delivery fees on top of already expensive prices._

_And having to rely on charities can be such a blow to one's pride._

_Sometimes I do not even know what to say, Lord._

_I do not know what to do._

_I do not even want to tell people publicly when we are struggling with food or finances because it seems to be the same story again and again._

_So, Lord, I hand this over to You._

_Father God, please help us. Help everybody who is struggling._

_I know many people who are struggling. I think of James Kirby, Francois van Aswegen, and many others._

_Lord, please help us. Help everyone who is struggling._

_I ask this in Jesus' precious name._

_Amen._

*📖 Introduction — When the Fire Just Keeps Burning.*

There are times when trials and tribulations become so thick that you feel as though you are simply walking around the same mountain again and again.

You feel as though you have somehow undercut the mountain and now it is going to collapse on top of you.

The grooves become so deep that there seem to be sheer cliffs on either side.

There appears to be no way out unless God reaches down from heaven with His mighty hand and pulls you free.

We are often told that trials are good for us.

They build character.

They develop perseverance.

They teach us dependence upon God.

And Scripture certainly teaches us that God can use suffering to produce endurance and spiritual maturity.

But there is something we sometimes forget.

*Knowing that suffering can produce something good does not mean that suffering feels good.*

When the trial goes on for months, then years, and another problem arrives just when you thought you had finally reached solid ground, encouragement can begin to sound hollow.

You can quote Proverbs 3:5–6:

> _“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”_ *Proverbs 3:5–6, KJV.*

And yet sometimes, when you are exhausted, those words can feel strangely distant.

You can remind yourself of Romans 8:1:

> _“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”_ *Romans 8:1, KJV.*

You know that you have been forgiven.

You know that Christ has paid the price.

You know that His blood has washed you clean.

And yet the circumstances around you can still hurt.

That is the difficult truth about faith.

*Faith does not mean that we never become discouraged.*

Faith means that even in our discouragement, we keep turning toward God.

There have been times when I have asked the Lord, “How much longer?”

There have even been moments when, exhausted by everything, I have cried out, “Lord, I am tired. I cannot carry this anymore.”

Perhaps you have prayed something similar.

If you have, you are not uniquely broken.

You are human.

And Scripture contains the cries of many people who reached the end of their own strength.

Elijah wanted to die.

David cried out from the depths of despair.

Job questioned everything around him.

Jeremiah wept.

Paul spoke openly about pressures that were beyond his own strength.

Yet their stories did not end with their despair.

And perhaps that is the message somebody needs this morning:

*The fact that you are exhausted does not mean that God has abandoned you.*

Sometimes perseverance looks heroic.

Sometimes perseverance looks like getting out of bed, making another cup of coffee, praying one more prayer, and saying:

*“Lord, I am still here. Please carry me.”*

*🏛️ Church History — Faithfulness in the Prison.*

John Bunyan, the English preacher and author of *The Pilgrim's Progress*, spent years imprisoned because of his refusal to stop preaching outside the restrictions imposed upon him.

His circumstances were not comfortable.

His imprisonment separated him from his family and placed severe limitations upon his life.

Yet from that difficult period came one of the most influential Christian allegories ever written.

Bunyan's circumstances did not magically become easy.

Instead, something remarkable happened *within* the hardship.

The prison became a place from which his faith and imagination continued to work.

His circumstances were restrictive, but his witness was not extinguished.

There is something important for us here.

Sometimes we pray:

*“Lord, get me out of this fire.”*

And sometimes God does.

But sometimes the immediate prayer God answers is:

*“Lord, keep me faithful while I am still in the fire.”*

We should never romanticise suffering.

But neither should we assume that suffering makes our lives meaningless.

God can still work in the place where we desperately wish we were somewhere else.

*📜 Scripture One — Proverbs 3:5–6.*

> _“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”_ *Proverbs 3:5–6, KJV.*

There is a reason this Scripture can become difficult during prolonged hardship.

We want understanding.

We want answers.

We want to know *why*.

Why is this happening?

Why does the problem keep returning?

Why does another problem appear just when the previous one seems resolved?

But Proverbs does not tell us that we will always understand.

It tells us not to make our limited understanding the foundation of our trust.

Sometimes faith means saying:

*“Lord, I do not understand what You are doing, but I still know who You are.”*

*💭 Reflection Question.*

What is one situation in your life that you are trying desperately to understand, but may need to place into God's hands instead?

*🔑 Practical Application.*

When you cannot understand the whole road, ask God for enough light to take the next step.

You do not need tomorrow's strength today.

*📜 Scripture Two — Romans 8:1–2.*

> _“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”_ *Romans 8:1, KJV.*

Paul continues:

> _“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”_ *Romans 8:2, KJV.*

One of the cruelest things that can happen during prolonged hardship is that we begin blaming ourselves for everything.

Maybe I am a bad person.

Maybe God is punishing me.

Maybe I have failed too badly.

Maybe I deserve everything happening to me.

We must be careful here.

Yes, we are sinners.

Yes, we make mistakes.

Yes, sometimes our choices have consequences.

But for the person who is in Christ, hardship is not automatically proof of God's condemnation.

*Romans 8:1 does not say, “There is no condemnation unless life becomes difficult.”*

It says there is *now no condemnation* for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Your circumstances do not get to rewrite the Gospel.

Your bank balance does not determine your value.

Your failures do not determine your identity.

Your present suffering does not cancel the work Christ has already accomplished.

*💭 Reflection Question.*

When hardship makes you question your worth, what does Romans 8:1 tell you about your standing in Christ?

*🔑 Practical Application.*

When your mind begins saying, _“I must be worthless because everything is going wrong,”_ answer it with Scripture:

*“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”*

*📜 Scripture Three — Psalm 34:18.*

> _“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”_ *Psalm 34:18, KJV.*

Notice what this verse does *not* say.

It does not say that the brokenhearted are abandoned.

It does not say that the struggling must first become strong before God will come near.

It says:

*“The LORD is nigh.”*

Near.

That matters.

Sometimes we desperately want God to remove the mountain.

But before the mountain moves, we may need to discover that God is standing beside us on the mountain.

There are prayers we pray because we want an answer.

And there are prayers we pray simply because we need Someone to hold us together.

Both are prayers.

God is not offended by the exhausted prayer.

He is not frightened by the tear.

He is not surprised when His child says:

*“Father, I cannot do this anymore.”*

Sometimes the most honest prayer is also the most faithful:

*“Lord, I cannot carry this. Please carry me.”*

*💭 Reflection Question.*

Can you identify one place where you need to stop measuring God's presence by your circumstances and begin trusting His promise that He is near?

*🔑 Practical Application.*

Today, do not measure God's presence by how easy your circumstances are.

Measure it by His promises.

Circumstances change.

God's character does not.

*🌹 An Original Poem — Still in the Fire.*

I asked the Lord to quench the flame,
To end the pain, to stop the rain,
To lift the weight upon my chest,
And give my weary spirit rest.

I cried, “My Father, I am tired,
This road has taken all I desired.
How long must I continue here?
How long must I walk through fear?”

But through the smoke I heard no voice,
No thunder, nor a sudden choice.
Yet somehow, when I could not stand,
I felt the touch of nail-scarred hands.

The mountain still stood tall and wide,
The valley still stretched far beside.
The fire had not yet disappeared,
But somehow I was no longer feared.

For I had learned what faith can be:
Not always chains that disappear,
But knowing Christ is still with me
When every road is filled with fear.

So if today your strength is gone,
And you cannot see another dawn,
Just whisper, “Jesus, stay with me.”

And trust the One you cannot see.

*💡 Practical Application — What Do I Do When I Cannot Fix Anything?*

Sometimes we make our spiritual lives unnecessarily complicated.

When everything is going wrong, we think we need some enormous act of faith.

Perhaps the next step is much smaller.

*1. Pray honestly.*

Do not manufacture a religious voice for God.

Tell Him where you hurt.

*2. Separate what you can control from what you cannot.*

You cannot control every person, company, bill, circumstance, or tomorrow.

But you can control the next faithful thing you do.

*3. Do the next right thing.*

Not the next twenty things.

Just the next one.

Make the phone call.

Wash the dishes.

Prepare the meal.

Send the message.

Read the Scripture.

Take the walk.

Rest when you need to rest.

Pray again.

*4. Refuse the lie that hardship equals worthlessness.*

Being poor does not make you worthless.

Being exhausted does not make you faithless.

Being confused does not mean God has abandoned you.

*5. Keep one promise of God in front of you.*

Today, let it be:

> _“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.”_ *Psalm 34:18, KJV.*

*🏃 Today's Exercise — The Five-Minute “Carry Me” Prayer.*

Find five quiet minutes today.

You do not need fancy words.

Sit somewhere quiet.

Take a slow breath.

Then pray:

*“Father, I cannot carry everything I am carrying. I give You what I cannot control. Give me strength for today. Give me wisdom for the next step. Keep my heart from bitterness. Keep my faith alive. And when I cannot hold on to You, hold on to me.”*

Then sit quietly for a moment.

Do not demand an immediate answer.

Simply remind yourself:

*God is here.*

*👑 God's View — The Fire Is Not the Whole Story.*

We see the fire.

God sees the person inside it.

We see today's empty cupboard.

God sees tomorrow.

We see the unanswered email.

God sees the entire story.

We see the mountain blocking the road.

God sees beyond the mountain.

That does not mean that every problem will immediately disappear.

It means that our present circumstances are not the complete story of our lives.

The Christian hope is larger than today's struggle.

And when we speak about the return of Christ and the difficult things Scripture teaches about the end times, we should remember something equally important:

*The Christian story does not end with persecution.*

It does not end with poverty.

It does not end with suffering.

It does not end with death.

It ends with Christ.

It ends with resurrection.

It ends with the defeat of death.

It ends with God's people dwelling with Him.

Whatever tomorrow brings, Christ remains the centre of our hope.

*☁️ Heavenly View — When We Finally See the Whole Picture.*

Imagine standing before God one day and looking back over your life.

Imagine seeing all those moments when you thought you were forgotten.

All those nights when you wondered why the answer never came.

All those meals that were stretched because money was short.

All those problems that seemed too complicated to solve.

All those prayers where all you could say was:

*“Lord, help me.”*

And then imagine seeing the story from Heaven's perspective.

Perhaps we will realise that the moments we considered insignificant were not insignificant at all.

The prayer we nearly gave up praying.

The kindness we showed when we ourselves were struggling.

The day we chose forgiveness.

The morning we got out of bed despite feeling completely defeated.

The moment we encouraged somebody else while secretly needing encouragement ourselves.

God saw it all.

We may not understand the whole story now.

But one day, we will see more clearly.

Until then, we walk by faith.

Not because the road is easy.

Not because we understand everything.

But because *Jesus walks with us.*

*💭 Today's Thought.*

*You do not have to feel strong to remain faithful.*

Sometimes faith is not standing triumphantly on top of the mountain.

Sometimes faith is lying exhausted at the foot of it and whispering:

*“Jesus, please don't leave me here.”*

And He has promised:

> _“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”_ *Hebrews 13:5, KJV.*

So if today you are still in the fire, do not condemn yourself because you are tired.

Cry if you need to cry.

Pray if you can pray.

Rest if you need to rest.

Ask for help when you need help.

And when all you can manage is one whispered prayer, let it be enough for today:

*“Lord Jesus, carry me.”*

*🙏 Closing Prayer.*

_Heavenly Father, I know this is a difficult devotion, and it seems to be a recurring theme in my devotions._

_But it is a recurring problem in the lives of Your people in the world we live in today._

_I believe we are living in difficult and troubling times, and I look forward to the second coming of Jesus._

_Yet with all of that said, I know that Scripture warns us that difficult times will come. Many believers throughout history have suffered persecution. Many have died for their faith. Many have been excluded from society because of their allegiance to Christ._

_Lord, I do not know what the future holds._

_I do not know what trials lie ahead._

_So I hand all these things over to You._

_Bless those who read this devotion._

_Father, in Jesus' precious name, let this not become a heavy burden upon anyone. Instead, I pray that You use these words to bring comfort to those who are hurting._

_In these difficult circumstances, allow Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, to come upon everyone who reads this devotion._

_May this devotion be blessed and anointed._

_May Your Holy Spirit awaken something within each and every one of us as we read it and share it with our friends._

_And Lord, when we cannot carry ourselves, teach us to allow You to carry us._

_In Jesus' precious name._

_Amen._

*🩸 God's Journalist.*

*Cody — Dei Scriptor.*

*Sanguine et Igne Veritas Revelata.*

*Truth Revealed by Blood and Fire.*

*Produced with ChatGPT and the Holy Spirit.*

*PlebWare — Technology should remain connected.*