Walking Through the Fire, Held by His Presence

This morning, while sitting in church, I read a passage of Scripture that spoke directly to my heart.

Just recently, I received a diagnosis: I have cancer in my left kidney. In about a month, surgeons will remove the kidney, and with it, the cancer will be gone. Dealing with a diagnosis like this certainly qualifies as “going through the fire.” Yet, knowing there is a clear path toward healing feels like the very definition of walking through that fire and not being burned.

The verse that anchored me is Isaiah 43:2 (NLT):

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.”

This scripture brought me overwhelming hope, and I believe it can do the exact same for you if you take a moment to read it and simply melt into His presence.

That is precisely what happened to me this morning. The worship team was leading the congregation, and while everyone around me stood, I remained seated, allowing myself to soak in His closeness.

What do I mean by “melting into His presence”? I mean that even surrounded by 250 people while sitting on the front row, I allowed myself to be completely alone with God. I let my spirit focus entirely on Jesus. In that quiet, sacred moment, He became my all in all.

Whatever trial or fire you may be facing today, know that you do not walk through it alone. His promise remains true: the flames will not consume you.

Here is a song by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound called “Walking Through Fire”.

This coming Sunday, May 17, 2026, I will be preaching for the first time at Ceres Christian Church as their new Associate Pastor. Having just started here on March 15, I am incredibly excited for this milestone. I was given Colossians 3:17 as my text:

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

This verse acts as the climax of chapters 1, 2, and 3.

• In Chapter 1: Paul teaches us about the supremacy of Christ. He is preeminent and sufficient. Paul argues that through the cross, God is reconciling all things to Himself.
• In Chapter 2: Paul writes about the fullness of God, noting that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (2:9).
• In Chapter 3:1-16: This section acts as the elevator to verse 17. Paul tells us that since we were raised with Christ, we need to look up, not down, focusing on heavenly realities (3:1–2). There is also a major “wardrobe change” in this passage. We are told to “put to death” our old clothes (anger, malice, lust) and “clothe ourselves” with the new (compassion, kindness, humility).

Finally, right before he springs our living application on us, Paul says to “let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.”

Now comes the application—the instruction on how we actually accomplish all of this. He says:

Since our old way of living is dead, our words and deeds must change to match our new life in Christ.

Since Jesus is King of everything, we are to do everything in the name of Jesus.

Since Jesus is the source of all life, we are to give thanks to God through Him.

So now you have a plan. Here it is. Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

Morri