The Fire Before the Blessing

• By candidasullivan
• January 13, 2026
• No Comments

The journey with the Lord can be unpredictable and challenging. Sometimes, God leads us through the fire on the way to the blessing. I usually resist because I don’t want to go through the fire—I want the blessing without the pain. But there is such a beautiful place found when we praise God through both the good and the bad.

I don’t want my praise or love for God to be contingent on my circumstances. I want to praise Him continually.

In all reality, I don’t fully understand the magnitude of God’s love for me. I don’t comprehend what Jesus endured on the cross. I’ve read the Scriptures, but I can’t truly grasp that level of suffering. Because of that, I don’t want to reduce His love to only the blessings I can see or understand.

I want my actions to align with my beliefs. I believe God is good, loving, and merciful, so I want to live that way. I believe God does what is best for me in every situation.

My mistakes are not God’s fault. I can’t follow the enemy and expect God to bless my choices. I want to live in a way that honors my Lord and reflects Him to others.

So I make a conscious decision to praise God—when He answers my prayers and when He doesn’t. Choosing to praise Him through it all has helped me more than I can explain.

Every day, I want to use my voice to tell others about the goodness of God. I want my faith and love to be greater than my fears and complaints. God has never failed me.

But oh, how I have failed God. I’ve listened to the enemy and allowed him to distract, discourage, and derail me. I’ve wasted time believing lies that were never true.

So today, I choose to redirect my thoughts, realign my heart, and walk forward with my Lord—regardless of the hardships.

God has blessings for us that we can’t even comprehend, sweet friends. And the only way to receive them is to follow Him.

If this encouraged you, please share it with someone else.