Written by a Bethany family member…

As I sat last night and viewed the devastating Los Angeles fire destruction, I sat in absolute shock. I felt my heart loading up with ache and feeling pain for those living through a living hell. I saw footage of a woman, tears dripping down her face, saying she awoke to an everyday routine on Wednesday and by evening had lost absolutely everything. Everything. That could be me tomorrow. I think the whole country is asking: How could this happen? What is going on?

This feels terrifying. An epic destructive fire out of nowhere. And as a nation, we haven’t even recovered from our most recent natural disaster—homes lost to massive flooding and mudslides caused by Hurricane Helene on October 4th. My heart cries out to God: Oh GOD, have mercy. Please send relief. Please send rain. Please see us.

Last month, a major storm hit one of our family members. It’s a bit too private to tell the world, but as a parent, it ripped through my heart, leaving heartache, pain and tears. God, in His always-kindness, reminded me that He was with me in this new fire, just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:23-26).  Those three godly men, who refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon were thrown, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes (vs. 21), into a furnace heated seven times hotter than ever before. The fire was so hot that even those stoking and tending it died from the heat.

But God reminded me He will walk through this new fire with me. He is with me. He will protect me.  And I, too, will walk out of it unscorched- without the smell of fire or my clothes being burnt.  The Spirit encouraged me NOT to quit. NOT to give the enemy space. No matter what hard and painful situation, God will hold my hand through the fire, and I will not be consumed. I can fight this battle and refuse to let Satan claim victory.

The California fires, like so many disasters that strike without warning, blindsided many people and will create severe trauma and wrenching pain for many.  As believers we need to ask God: “What can I do?”  And we must trust that our Lord God, who made a precious promise to Israel in Isaiah 43:1-3b will also walk with us, holding our hand, whether through a personal fire or a disaster impacting our thought-to-be-secure nation.

God’s word says:

“But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your GOD, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’”