On Fire

When we face adversity, we can either try to run and hide or face it head-on, recognizing that the Lord is with us and that He has a purpose, even in our suffering. Isaiah 43 says:
1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3a For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

Several chapters later, in Isaiah 48, we find the phrase, "I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." That's a powerful phrase, and very relatable, because I think that we face spiritual heat from time to time - perhaps the Lord turns up the temperature and sends a trial our way so that He can do His refining work in our lives. He is so loving and cares for us; He only wants the best for us - so when we suffer, we can continue to rejoice that He is still at work.

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When we face those inconvenient circumstances in our lives, it's important that we develop a proper response that glorifies God. Tragedy will come, and we certainly should respond to our sense of loss in a Godly manner and express the sorrow that results. 1st Peter chapter 4 states:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

The pastor of a church in Decatur, Alabama received a call in the early morning hours of New Year's Day this year, informing him about a fire at his church, Sixth Avenue Community Church.  The Faithwire website reported on the response of Pastor Sean DeMars in a Facebook post:

“The entire meeting hall was consumed, and the rest of the building incurred significant smoke and water damage,” he wrote. “What caused the fire? The investigator on the scene said that the fire was caused by a wall heater in the foyer at the main meeting hall entrance.”

DeMars then posed a rhetorical question — one that offered a telling look into the depths of his faith.

“What now?” he asked, before proclaiming: “First, rejoice!” 

The article goes on to say:

The preacher shared Paul’s words from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which reads, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Considering the monumental loss, pain, and chaos the house of worship and congregants are surely feeling, this encouraging reminder truly stands out.

DeMars went on to offer prayer points for church members and others to ponder, with each of those prompts starting with a faith-building word: “rejoice.”

Faithwire also reported: 

In a follow-up Facebook post, the church said it is “OK to grieve the loss” of the building so long as Christians don’t “grieve like those who have no hope,” citing 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

The Christian Post reported that First Baptist Church of Decatur had offered for Sixth Avenue to use its building.

I'm reminded of an occurrence closer to home, in Montgomery at First Baptist Church downtown on S. Perry, in which the church was actually the victim of an attempted arson - it took months to remedy the damage, yet Senior Pastor Mark Bethea led the congregation through that difficulty with confident and Christ-affirming leadership. CBN.com had stated just days after the fire:

Pastor Bethea has continued to keep congregants updated on the clean-up and rebuilding process, all the while maintaining an attitude of faith and mercy.

"I left the church last night more encouraged and ready to take the gospel forward than ever before," Bethea shared. "What man meant for evil, God is currently using and will use for good. I believe that with every fiber of my soul."

About ten months later, the congregation moved back into its restored sanctuary; The Alabama Baptist reported that on July 24, 2022, the congregation sang, "To God Be the Glory," described as "a hymn church members sang as they gathered in a parking deck, a parking lot and other spaces following the attack."  Pastor Bethea was quoted as saying: “Great things He has done, great things He’s still doing and great things He will continue to do,” adding, “We’re going to keep going, we’re going to keep pressing on because great things our eyes have not seen yet.”

The fires of affliction will come our way - 1st Peter describes the "fiery trial."  But, the question for us, is how are we going to respond?  We can become bitter, plunged into sinful anger, and discouraged, or we can continue to hope in the Lord, even though we experience sorrow.  We can be open to how the Spirit is working in our hearts and thankful that He continues to teach us, even through our difficulties.

Inconvenience will come, but we can always remember that God wants to ultimately bring us to a place of rejoicing - in Him.  That doesn't eliminate the pain, but it increases our hope.  Pastor DeMars offered these seven principles of rejoicing in a Facebook post contained in the Faithwire article:

First, rejoice!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
-1 Thess 5:16-18

Here’s how you can pray.
1. Rejoice that God’s will for our church is always good.
2. Rejoice that we just got through learning how to be content in all circumstances (Phil 4:11).
3. Rejoice that God is in control and working all things for our good (Rom 8:28).
4. Rejoice that no one was hurt.
5. Rejoice for what the Lord is going to teach us through this trial.
6. Rejoice for how God is going to use this to advance the gospel.

God wants us to reflect on Him, and that will produce a sense of joy, even in the midst of sadness.  We can have confidence, even in the midst of sorrow.  We can have unfailing trust even in the middle of our deepest disappointment.