Refining Faith (by Cathe Laurie)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” (Psalm 46: 1–3 ESV).

The term refined by fire has taken on a whole new meaning for us here in Southern California. In the last month, people we know have lost their homes and even their lives. There are no words to “fix” it and nothing that truly expresses the grief and sorrow.

Finding God During Hard Times

We are trying our best to care for those in our church and community, doing what we can to give, serve, and love in every possible way. But when we are faced with such tragedy and the reality of deep loss, how do we move forward? How do we face the pain? And where is God through it all?

God Understands Your Pain

It’s in these moments that I remind myself that Jesus was familiar with grief. Even with His eternal vision, He felt the pain that burdens this world. He wept. He cried out to His Father. He stressed to the point of sweating blood.

He feels with us. He mourns with us. He understands deeply the cries of our hearts and the aches in our chests. And even in the darkest, most painful times, God is still on the throne and working through love and hope.

Pain Can Draw You Closer to God

Tragedies refine our faith. When all is lost—when we find ourselves struggling for words and unsure how to even face the day—we run back to the one constant we have: our Lord, our Father in Heaven.

When all is lost, He is near. When all is hard, He gives us refuge. When we need a shoulder to cry on, someone to hold us . . . He is present. When faith is all we have, we find the purest love of the Father there to comfort us and hold us. With nothing in the way, we draw nearer to the Lord than ever before.

In the darkness of tragedy, He shines brightly through.

We Can Bring it All to God

We can be angry. We can be heartbroken. We can bring Him all of our mess, our questions, our sorrow. And He’ll take what we bring Him and make it beautiful again.

A Choice to Make

The rebuild will take months or years, and the pain may last long after that. But we can choose to stand in faith that God will move through it. He’ll rebuild with us. He will mourn with us, weep with us, be present with us. He will break His light through the darkness and help us to see Him clearer.

I am praying for each one of you in whatever you are facing. And I pray that through the pain, God would move in beautiful ways. I pray that through the sorrow, you will draw nearer to Him than ever. And I pray that no matter what you face, the Lord will show Himself in fresh, obvious ways to you to restore your faith and strength.

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.