ANOTHER IN THE FIRE (Hillsong United)

It is a humbling process writing personal reflections each week and allowing the Holy Spirit to peel back the layers of my heart like an onion and reveal levels of vulnerability I would rather avoid altogether.

With each devotion I publish, opportunity abounds for assumptions, expectations, and personal judgments to be made against me. Thankfully, I've never been one to care too much about what people think of me because I've learned over time to filter out negativity and unfair criticism.

It has been a difficult road to navigate, though, dating back to my childhood. Like many, I struggled to fit into popular culture and often found myself during the teenage years isolating from others with nothing but my thoughts and a good, old-fashioned typewriter to flush them out.

I loved writing poetry at the time and that became an outlet for me to express my feelings without fear of judgment as I fought to survive the teenage years. In some ways I was similar to kids around me, and in other ways I found myself on the outside looking in more than I care to remember.

When I reflect back on my adolescence, I have very mixed emotions. I am certainly thankful for all the trials God brought me through because everything I experienced helped shape the man I am today. However, there are moments of extreme darkness I would rather forget, ignore or avoid rather than proactively confront.

Perhaps that is why my heart gravitated toward "Another In The Fire" by Hillsong United when I first heard it, and challenged me to open up about struggles I've rarely shared publicly before. This song is incredibly personal to me because it magnifies how often I've had to preach the Gospel to my heart over the years as a reminder that there truly is another in the fire and His name is Jesus.

Make no mistake, we have an enemy who knows our weaknesses better than we do and seeks to exploit them in order to tempt us into abandoning our faith in Christ.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Far too often we embrace disillusionment, assuming we've outmaneuvered the devil in our own strength without any need for God's help. However, what we fail to realize is the more we assume we've conquered the enemy in our own strength, the mightier our fall will be when our defense is ultimately broken over time and insecurities exposed for attack.

LYRICS: "There’s a grace when the heart is under fire; another way when the walls are closing in. And when I look at the space between where I used to be and this reckoning, I know I will never be alone."

Scripture warns, "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:12–14).

In the midst of trials when it feels like the world is crashing down around us, God provides a clear, exit strategy for resisting temptation and enduring spiritual warfare. However, we must ask ourselves whether our pride will allow us to lean upon the Lord for guidance when temptation arises.

In other words, when the walls are closing in and Satan is attempting to suffocate our faith, will we trust God's sovereignty knowing His grace is sufficient even when we're overwhelmed by fear?

When I reflect back on my younger days, I can see how the Lord pulled me through some very dark moments when Satan baited me into believing I was all alone in my struggles. However, God protected my heart and mind, and reminded me that my life had infinite value because of spiritual markers He specifically placed in my memory to combat the enemy.

Make no mistake, isolation has always been Satan's strategy of choice to render us unequipped and vulnerable to attack. However, God knows Satan's tactics and pursues us at the expense of His own Son to ensure we are safe and secure if we truly trust in His sovereign protection. 

"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray" (Matthew 18:12–13).

It is important we remember where we have been, where we are now, and how far we have come over time. Often times, we simply fail to measure the space between our past and present, yet God continues to pour out His grace upon us regardless of the memory loss we experience each time we panic under pressure and forget the spiritual markers He placed in our hearts as our spiritual way of escape.

LYRICS: "There was another in the fire standing next to me. There was another in the waters holding back the seas. And should I ever need reminding of how I’ve been set free, there is a cross that bears the burden where another died for me. There is another in the fire."

The imagery of this chorus is so incredibly powerful when we consider it through Biblical context. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego willingly risked their lives knowing if they failed to bow to a false idol, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar and die an excruciating death.

Nonetheless, they chose to accept their fate rather than renounce their faith in the Lord God, who ultimately saved them by sending Jesus to accompany them in the inferno.

"Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?' They answered and said to the king, 'True, O king.' He answered and said, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods'" (Daniel 3:24–25).

Similarly, God saved the nation Israel by parting the Red Sea and providing a miraculous solution  when Pharaoh's army entrapped them against the water's edge with no opportunity for escape.

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exodus 14:21–22).

In both cases, the Lord supernaturally reached down from the heavens and saved His people by meeting their needs in the midst of impending death. Therefore, why would we ever doubt God's sovereignty knowing He not only rebuked fire and water to save His children of old, but sent His only Son to die a sinner's death on our behalf to purchase our salvation?

All the reminders we need which testify to God's love and provision for His people are found over and over in the pages of Scripture, culminated by the cross which bears the burden of sin for all mankind.

LYRICS: "All my debt left for dead beneath the waters. I’m no longer a slave to my sin anymore. And should I fall in the space between what remains of me and this reckoning, either way I won’t bow to the things of this world and I know I will never be alone."

One of the things I love about this song is the imagery painted throughout, and this verse in particular reminds me of a memory which has haunted me. Water has always played a unique role in my life because I almost drowned when I was a young boy.

One of my earliest memories was getting knocked over by a wave and struggling to pull myself back up after what felt like an eternity with my head underwater. That left a powerful impression on me throughout my life and I have never been able to tread water or learn how to swim since.

Fear has a way of crippling the senses if we allow, and being under water, for me at least, feels like suffocation. However, I do not believe I've ever considered how my drowning experience could help me understand the Gospel better till now.

When we are baptized, we're immersed within a body of water to symbolize our unity with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Our sins are symbolically washed away by water during baptism, cleansing us of all unrighteousness by the blood of the lamb as a public profession of our saving faith.

Therefore, the debt we once owed was officially left for dead the moment we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and baptism symbolizes that moment by testifying we are no longer slaves to our sin but born-again to new life in Christ. 

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3–4).

However, while water symbolizes the cleansing of our sins, it does not promise amnesia regarding the memories of our past. Looking back upon my journey of salvation, what remains to this day is a mixed bag of shame and regret for how selfish I once was, but immeasurable appreciation to God for rescuing me from my destructive ways, both then and now.

I wish from the moment I accepted Christ I never committed another sin ever again, but the sins I've committed post-conversion haunt me more today than those committed before I was saved. Reason being, the Holy Spirit has illuminated Scripture in my heart so powerfully and held me accountable to God's holy standard that I grieve and mourn sin like never before.

In other words, where once I ignored or rejected how wretched I truly was, now I recognize my sins more clearly and the destructive wake my selfish decisions leave behind.

LYRICS: "And I can see the light in the darkness as the darkness bows to Him. I can hear the roar in the heavens as the space between wears thin." 

I believe there is a common misconception in the church today that God remains in heaven while Satan rules the earth. While many would not articulate that as part of their theology, it seems they forget the Holy Spirit, one-third of the Trinity, exists in our hearts while we temporarily take up residence in this world. Therefore, God is ever-present with us regardless of Satan's influence.

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12).

It is important we keep our eyes fixed on the light of Christ in the midst of this dark world to avoid becoming overwhelmed by doubts and fears. Again, Satan masterfully uses isolation to bait us into thinking we are all alone in our struggles and that no one cares about or even recognizes our pain.

Those who struggle with suicidal thoughts can identify mightily because the darkness they often experience is overwhelming. Therefore, they assume their existence is better served dead than alive when nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. From their perspective, why continue living when the heart and mind are covered in darkness and hopelessness?

It would be easier to put an end to the suffering rather than live another "meaningless" day in isolation. However, God's Word provides life-saving truth to those who trust in the name of Jesus despite the evil voices whispering lies in their ears.

"When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:17–19).

Focusing on the light of Christ in the midst of pain and suffering is our only way of navigating through trials because we know God will never leave or forsake us if we place our trust in His sovereignty and our eternal hope in Jesus. 

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:5–7).

LYRICS: "I can feel the ground shake beneath us as the prison walls cave in. Nothing stands between us. Nothing stands between us."

In Acts 16, we learn that despite being beaten and imprisoned with their feet fastened in stocks, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God when an earthquake shook the foundation of the jail cell and caused the doors to open. Though their bonds were released, Paul and Silas remained in the cell and subsequently prevented their jailer from committing suicide.

"And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household'" (Acts 16:29–31).

God performed a miracle that day which culminated in the salvation of the most unlikely of characters. Yet it should not surprise us because when we submit ourselves to glorifying God in the midst of our pain and suffering, He shows up in a mighty way.

When we declare our hope is in Jesus, we are not uttering empty words which carry no intrinsic value. Rather, we are declaring in the midst of our trials that God is far greater than any difficult circumstance we might find ourselves in.

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

It may sound cliché to simply "trust in Jesus" when the walls are closing in, but we must never forget that the same God who shook the earth with an earthquake to release Paul and Silas from their imprisonment is our sufficiency at all times as well.

It may not make sense in the moment, but maintaining our trust in the Lord's provision declares to the power of darkness that nothing will ever stand in between the love God has for us. How can it? God sacrificed His own Son to set us free for eternity! Therefore, let us not be dismayed but encouraged, because the same power that raised Jesus from the grave will surely deliver us from sin and death if we trust in His Name.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38–39).

LYRICS: "There is no other name but the Name that is Jesus. He who was and still is and will be through it all. So come what may in the space between all the things unseen and this reckoning, I know I will never be alone. I know I will never be alone." 

There are ten references in the book of Acts whereby, "in the name of Jesus," miracles happened, the Gospel was proclaimed, and salvation was received by thousands. Without question, the power of the Holy Spirit is released when the name of Jesus is called upon.

And while popular culture has blasphemed Christ's name, we in the church hold it in reverence because our minds have been illuminated by Scripture. Many of us can passionately testify that strongholds are broken when the name of Jesus is spoken because that is our own personal story and testimony of faith.

When I was young, I struggled with suicidal thoughts. Looking back, I recognize how Satan had me shackled in isolation, believing my life was insignificant. Keep in mind, I grew up Catholic and knew popular stories of the Bible, but my faith journey was far more religious than relational to Christ and my knowledge of Scripture shallow at best, which left me extremely vulnerable to spiritual attack. 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3–4).

Therefore, it is not surprising suicide seemed like a viable alternative at the time because I did not have a personal relationship of salvation with Christ at that point. Yet in the midst of my torment, God lovingly reminded me He had a purpose for my life and brought to mind spiritual markers which enabled me to have something to life for.

Now talking openly about my own battles with suicidal thoughts is not something I dreamed of ever sharing publicly, but I believe life-changing power is released when we embrace vulnerability, confess our sins, and admit we need help.

I'd love to say my struggles with suicide are a thing of the past, but those demons flood my mind from time to time when conflict arises or I yield to temptation and sin against those I love. In many ways, the scarlet letter of shame and regret are difficult to relinquish at times, even for born-again Christ-followers.

However, the apostle Paul struggled with a thorn in the flesh as well, so I am encouraged I'm not alone in my journey of faith. But what encourages me more is knowing whatever comes my way, I will be able to withstand the schemes of the enemy because my Savior is always with me, even when my faith is weary and worn.

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' And the Lord said, 'If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you'" (Luke 17:5–6).

LYRICS: "There’ll be another in the fire standing next to me. There’ll be another in the waters holding back the seas. And should I ever need reminding how good You’ve been to me, I’ll count the joy come every battle because I know that’s where You’ll be."

The beauty of this chorus is how it shifts from past to present to future tense. Did you catch that? The transition is subtle, despite the repetition, from WAS to IS to WILL BE, but it accurately captures how dependent our faith is on spiritual markers at all life stages, which remind us of God's sovereignty when we're caught in the fire or consumed by raging seas.

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:8–9).

Undoubtedly, our day of reckoning will come and we'll stand before the throne of God to await our final judgment, so why not plan accordingly at this moment if we have the power to change our life's trajectory and live unashamed for Christ?

For if we are consumed by the cares of this world, we will never relinquish full control to God and allow Him to transform our hearts. Therefore, trials are necessary to refine our faith and draw us closer to Christ.

The key is shifting our perspective off our struggles and focusing on the victory we have in Jesus instead, for no temporary hardships could ever compare to the eternal joy we will experience in heaven one day. 

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2–3).

God uses trials to refocus our attention toward heaven rather than the cares of this world to refine our character and purify our hearts. But more importantly, trials are an opportunity to experience God's presence more intimately than we could ever imagine, and help create spiritual markers which will provide dividends in the future.

To testify, "They'll be another in fire," communicates loud and clear that God is faithful regardless of what hardships await in the future. Therefore, may we embrace whatever trials lie ahead with joyful expectancy, knowing the Lord is faithful and will never leave or forsake us to the glory of His Name.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).