Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 1
“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” — Psalm 107:29
“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” — Job 23:10
Introduction
Some storms pass quickly. Others settle in and stay. There are believers who wake up day after day in a trial that hasn’t ended — a thorn that hasn’t been removed, a prayer that hasn’t been answered, a valley that feels endless. And yet, these prolonged sufferings are not outside the plan of God. They are often the very place where He does His deepest work.
When we speak of suffering, we must not speak superficially. The long trial does something short trials do not — it exposes the root. It reveals what’s beneath our theology, beneath our praise, beneath our perseverance. It reveals whether we are in this walk because of what God gives, or because of who He is.
God’s People Have Faced Long Trials Too
The Word of God does not sugarcoat suffering. It is a book stained with tears — the record of saints refined by fire and shaped through waiting.
Job suffered wave after wave of loss and could not make sense of it. Yet in the depth of despair, he declared: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).
Joseph was sold, falsely accused, and imprisoned for years. But even in the dungeon, “the LORD was with him” (Gen. 39:21).
David endured betrayal, unjust persecution, and exile — often crying out, “How long, O LORD?”
Paul pleaded three times for his thorn to be removed, but God said no — because His grace was enough (2 Cor. 12:7–9).
You are not alone if you are walking through a storm that doesn’t stop. You are in the company of those who came forth as gold.
🔗 For deeper encouragement from Job’s journey, see our full series: The Story of Job
Why God Sometimes Allows Long Trials
When God does not deliver immediately, it is not because He is absent — it is because He is at work in a deeper way. Here are a few reasons God may allow the storm to stay:
1. To Develop Endurance, Not Just Relief
“Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” — James 1:4
God is more interested in developing character than providing comfort. If the trial builds patience, it is achieving something more eternal than instant deliverance ever could.
2. To Strip Away Self-Reliance
“We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” — 2 Corinthians 1:9
Some storms remain until we stop reaching for human strength. The longer the trial, the more thoroughly we learn to lean on Him.
3. To Form Christ in Us
“That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” — 2 Corinthians 4:11
It is not about surviving — it is about manifesting Christ. His endurance, His meekness, His love, His death, and His resurrection life are being formed in us.
4. To Produce a Testimony
“Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” — Psalm 40:3
Your storm may be someone else’s salvation. What God sustains you through becomes a testimony of His sufficiency to others.
What To Do When You’re in the Long Trial
- Keep crying out — not in unbelief, but in persistence. God honors those who “pray and faint not” (Luke 18:1).
- Keep obeying — don’t let the silence make you disobedient. Job worshiped in ashes. Joseph remained faithful in chains.
- Keep looking up — the storm may last, but it won’t have the final word. Jesus is in the boat. And one day, He will say “Peace, be still.”
Conclusion
There are storms that pass. And then there are storms that sanctify. If you are in the latter, you are in holy company. God is not punishing you. He is refining you. And what He is forming in you is eternal.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” — 2 Cor 4:16
You may not know when the storm will end. But you can know this — you will not come out the same. You will come out with Christ more fully formed in you.
🔎 Overcomer’s Checkpoint
- Have you mistaken the silence of God for the absence of God?
- Is your faith anchored to His goodness or just to His gifts?
- How might your current trial become a testimony that helps someone else endure?
Rick, thank you for this article. I’ve been praying to go deeper into His rivers of living water and it’s been a painful experience. This encouraging word helps. Blessings, Sandy.
Sandra, thank you for sharing this. There is often a painful side to going deeper with the Lord because He lovingly removes what hinders our fellowship with Him. Yet it is through those very seasons that the rivers of living water become more real to us. I will be praying that the Lord continues to strengthen and encourage you as you trust Him. If you haven’t already, you might also find encouragement in another article on the site, “The Story of Job.” It explores how God often accomplishes His deepest work through prolonged seasons of suffering and unanswered questions. May His grace sustain you day by day. Blessings, Rick