Finding His Hand Through the Fire
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing…
— 1 Peter 4:12–13 NASB
The fire came uninvited. It came as a word—cancer—and that word pierced deeper than a sword. What followed was a battle not just for the body, but for the soul. Weeks turned to months. Doctors, chemotherapy, surgery. In that furnace, hearts turned to El Shaddai, God Almighty. Prayers rose like incense. Tears watered the floor like offerings. And now, with the worst behind them, a quiet, aching question rises: Where was God in the trial?
The answer, beloved, is nearer than breath. God was there in the fire.
God is never absent in suffering. We serve the God who walks into furnaces (Daniel 3:24–25), who enters the storm (Mark 6:48), who weeps at the tomb even when He plans to raise the dead (John 11:35). He does not always take away the pain, but He sanctifies it. Every chemo session, every sleepless night, every moment of anguish was not wasted. He was refining them, shaping something eternal through temporal sorrow.
We must never see doctors as hindrances to God’s will. They are His servants—whether they know Him or not. Luke, beloved physician of the New Testament, served God not in a pulpit but with a stethoscope. God can work through a Word, through prayer, through anointed oil—or through medicine, wisdom, and skilled hands. All healing belongs to God, whether by miracle or by means. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17 NASB).
So then, what is their testimony? It is not simply survival—it is transformation. To be crushed and yet not destroyed. To feel the shadow of death, and yet walk through it with Yeshua at their side. Their testimony is not merely what God did to the tumor—it’s what He did to their hearts. He taught them to trust when the outcome was unclear. He stripped them of every false comfort. He called them to Himself.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” (Psalm 119:67 NASB). Affliction became the shepherd’s rod.
So how do we find God in the trial? We press in. We stop looking for escape and start looking for Emmanuel—God with us. We find Him in the peace that made no sense, in the strength that showed up when theirs was gone, in the unity between husband and wife forged in the furnace. We find Him not just in healing, but in hope that does not disappoint(Romans 5:5 NASB).
Beloved, you may not understand it all now. But God wastes nothing. Even this will bear fruit—perhaps a deeper ministry, perhaps compassion for others walking the same valley, perhaps a hunger for eternity that burns brighter than before. Keep your eyes on Him. Thank Him for what He’s done, even as you ask Him what He’s doing still.
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” (Romans 8:28 AMP)
God in the trial is still God on the throne. Let the testimony rise—not just that you were healed, but that you found Him in the fire.
Prayer
Father, we thank You—not just for outcomes, but for Your presence through the process. You are the Healer, the Sustainer, the One who never leaves. We praise You for every doctor and every prayer, every battle fought and every peace granted. We ask that You complete what You have started—not only in the body but in the soul. May this trial produce endurance, and endurance proven character, and character hope. Use this testimony to awaken others. Let them see You in the fire. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
