Into the Fire

A reflection on God’s refining love

There are seasons when life feels like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. We pray for God’s deliverance, yet the heat seems to rise instead of fade. But often, that very fire is where God does His deepest work — not to harm us, but to refine us.

From the Frying Pan Into the Fire

From the frying pan into the fire —  

that’s where we go when God tests desire.  

We pray for His deliverance today,  

then wonder why our hearts still ache this way.

It’s because He’s burning off the chaff,  

our worldly nature we still grasp.  

We cling to our own thoughts and plans,  

believing strength is in our hands.

It’s a hard lesson when we ask God to deliver,  

to lift us out of the heat we’re in.  

Yet when we pray, into the fire we go —  

a necessary part of His refining.

From the frying pan into the fire,  

He cleanses us of human desire.  

Though painful as the dross is stripped away,  

the heart is shaped into a child of His grace.

So when you ask God to deliver you today,  

hold tight — He works in His perfect way.  

You may walk through the burning flame,  

but He is with you, giving strength to sustain.

©2025 Sandra C. Johnson