I’ll never forget Hurricane Opal in 1995—my first hurricane. All night the wind howled, the walls creaked, and I prayed the roof would hold. But when the storm finally blew through, I stepped outside to a world scrubbed clean. The sky was unbelievably clear—sharper, deeper, almost new. Branches littered the ground, yes, but the air felt lighter. The storm didn’t just pass; it cleared the atmosphere.
Life is like that. One moment, everything feels steady; the next, the ground shifts beneath your feet. Illness strikes, doors slam shut, finances dry up, relationships fray. You whisper, “Lord, how much more can I take?” Yet what if the very storm you dread is the wind God is using to push you into your breakthrough?
Psalm 66:12 says, “We went through fire and flood, but You brought us to a place of great abundance.” Notice the route to abundance wasn’t around the fire and flood—it was through them.
The Fire Before the Favor
Fire refines gold. Floodwaters cleanse and reset the land. Storms clear the air. In God’s hands, trials are not wasted; they’re preparation.
Israel lived this in Exodus 14. Trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, fear must have been suffocating. God didn’t remove the storm—He sent one. A strong east wind blew all night, parting the waters and making a way where there was no way. What looked like disaster became deliverance. The very wind they feared opened their future.
Your Storm Has Purpose
Maybe you’re in a “Red Sea moment”—buried under bills, grieving a loss, or waiting on a diagnosis. Hear this: the storm is not here to destroy you; it’s here to deliver you. God is not absent in the fire, the flood, or the gale. He is present, working in it and through it, turning what the enemy meant for harm into the very thing that carries you forward.
Your setback isn’t the end of your story—it’s the setup for your comeback.
First Comes the Fire, Then Comes the Rain
There’s a holy rhythm to God’s refining: first the fire, then the rain.
Think of Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). First, the fire fell—God answered by fire, consuming the sacrifice and burning away every doubt. Then Elijah looked to the horizon and declared, “There is the sound of heavy rain.” The rain ended a long drought and refreshed the land.
It’s the same rhythm in our lives:
- Fire purifies—burning away what can’t go with you into your next season: fear, bitterness, pride, small thinking.
- Rain renews—God pours out provision, clarity, favor, and fresh strength.
If you’re feeling the heat right now, don’t despair. The fire is proof that rain is on the way. God often refines before He restores, and He purifies before He pours out.
The Refining Process
“To get to it, you must go through it.” That’s how God grows unshakable faith.
Like gold in the furnace, you may feel the heat—but impurities are being removed, revealing what’s precious and lasting. Like Israel at the sea, you may feel trapped—but God is already sending the wind that will part your waters. Like the sky after Opal, your world may look torn and tangled today—but the storm is clearing the air for tomorrow’s brightness.
The trial you’re facing won’t last forever. The God who parts seas and sends rain knows exactly how to bring you through to abundance.
Hold On to Hope
Breakthrough usually meets resistance. When your strength is gone, that’s when God’s strength shines. You may not feel it, but the east wind is already blowing. The fire is refining, and the rain is gathering on the horizon.
Don’t despise the process:
- The fire will refine you.
- The flood will pass.
- The storm will clear.
- And on the other side is abundance you couldn’t have reached any other way.
Lift your eyes. The sky is clearing.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… and when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” (Isaiah 43:2)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being with me in the fire, the flood, and the storm. When life shakes, anchor my heart in Your faithfulness. Purify me in the fire—then send the rain that renews and restores. Give me grace to trust You through the process and courage to keep moving forward. What looks like a setback, I declare is a setup for breakthrough. Lead me through to the place of abundance You’ve promised. I believe the wind is parting my seas, the rain is on the horizon, and victory is on the way.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement 
Leave a comment