Walking Through the Fire With God
For the next several weeks, Bekah and I will be sharing excerpts from our new mother-daughter devotional book, Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls. It will go on sale at the beginning of November. Today’s excerpt is called “Walking Through the Fire With God.” We pray this encourages you as you face trials and difficult times of all sorts.
Walking Through the Fire With God
He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”
Daniel 3:25
Have you ever experienced a situation so difficult that it felt like you were walking through a fire? Maybe you’ve experienced the loss of a friend or loved one, or you’re dealing with a long-term illness. Perhaps you often feel left out, stressed, or worried.
Sometimes, God uses the fires of life to burn away the parts of our lives that are holding us back. This process is always painful; however, it ultimately yields fruit in our lives and shapes us to look more like Jesus. Psalm 66:10 reads, “For You have tested us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.”
In today’s Focus Verse, three men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had been thrown into a fiery furnace. These three men refused to worship a golden image their king had made. Miraculously, all three men emerged from the fire unscathed. They didn’t even smell like smoke.
The miracle of their survival is awesome. Yet an additional phenomenon took place as they walked through the fire: There was a fourth man in the fire with them.
Most Bible teachers suggest that this fourth Man was the pre-incarnate Christ.
Jesus didn’t leave these men to suffer in the fire alone. He went with them.
This truth has carried me through the darkest days of my life. It can carry you through the most difficult fires of your life as well.
Throughout the past decade, I have endured debilitating sickness. At times, my illness was so severe that I couldn’t leave home for months. During those times, family members cared for me, and I often felt like giving up.
Are you walking through the fire with God?
On the darkest days, one truth carried me: I knew that Jesus was with me in my suffering.
I was so sick that it rarely felt like he was with me. Nevertheless, I trusted in the promise that he would never leave me (Hebrews 13:5), and I clung to that promise when I felt alone and hopeless.
Jesus wants you to know that he is with you in the fires you are facing today. He will never leave your side. He loves you so much that he already paid the price for every sin you have ever committed and every sin you will ever commit (Romans 5:8).
Jesus wants you to know that he is with you in the fires you are facing today. He will never leave your side. #Jesus #fires #faith Share on XYou might not feel his presence with you today, but that doesn’t mean he has abandoned you. He is with you, and he will give you the strength to endure every fire you face in this lifetime.
(After each devotion in the book, we offer a journaling section. First, the teen responds to several questions. She then passes the journal to her mom or mentor, who responds. Below are the reflection questions for today’s devotion.)
Teen’s Reflection
What is the most difficult “fire” you have ever experienced in your life? In what way did your experience lead you closer to God or cause you to drift away from him?
Mom’s Reflection
After reflecting on your daughter’s response, prayerfully share what you have learned about trusting Jesus in life’s fires. Describe a time when you walked through a refining fire and had a difficult time sensing Jesus’ presence. In what ways did God carry you through the difficult time? How did he support you and help you through it? What did you learn through it?
A Free Devotional for When You’re Walking Through the Fire With God
Lastly, I have a gift for you. God wants to continue to speak into your heart as you navigate this valley. He is waiting to heal your heart, lift your head, and pull you from your lowest moment. Rays of Light for the Dark Days is your daily guide. This free 20-day online devotional will inspire, comfort, and uplift you. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox—no strings attached.
Find Heart to Heart (and Girl to Girl) Here:
Bekah and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by these books! You can buy them as paperbacks or get your free Kindle Unlimited eBooks on Amazon right here.
