Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
June 17, 2024
This Week's Anchor
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10 NIV
If you’re reading the title of this week’s devotion thinking, “Did Chaka Khan and/or Kanye West inspire this?” Yes. Yes, they did…And I know these are secular (and spicy) songs but hear me out. As I listened to Chaka’s amaaaazing Tiny Desk performance this week and the song, “Through the Fire” in particular, I was reminded of Kanye’s sample of this song in his hit, Through the Wire. This memory transported me back in time to his well-praised documentary (Jeen-Yuhs), which I had the opportunity to view a couple of years ago. At the time, I had mixed feelings regarding some of Kanye’s behaviors, opinions, and statements in the years prior, nevertheless, the psychotherapist in me (who loves a good personal story) pressed through to watch this documentary and learn more about the psychological, social, and cultural (as well as spiritual) context of Kanye West.
To be transparent, despite my reservations at the moment I viewed this film, I was quite moved by the narrative of Kanye’s life as captured by one of his long-term friends. I ended the documentary feeling considerable empathy for what Kanye has been through and moved by his interpretation of his life experiences, especially those that occurred early on. One experience, in particular, resonated at the time and remains with me to this day. It involved the life-changing car accident that Kanye experienced that ultimately inspired his well-known song, Through the Wire. The impact of this car accident left Kanye with his mouth wired shut as he recovered. From Kanye’s perspective, this accident was an act of God, and he wrote a song that represented his perseverance through this trial both literally and symbolically. Unknowingly, this song would become the hit that launched Kanye’s rap music career and made him a household name beyond his production capabilities.
Now, this devotion is certainly not just about Kanye West by way of Chaka Khan. As I reflected on the memories of Kanye’s song and this documentary, I couldn’t help but think of several scriptures that illustrate the power of preserving through moments in our lives that feel like setbacks. Our anchor scripture this week encourages us in the same way that Kanye seemed to be inspired amid a dark moment in his life. This scripture reminds us of a few important things:
God is a gracious God. And in moments when we feel like we are being put through the fire, we can remember that His grace is sufficient and that He has the all-powerful ability to turn dark and difficult moments that we encounter to not only work for our good but also to completely change our lives.
We are called to His glory. Going through trials shouldn’t dissuade us from trusting God in being called, it should actually re-affirm us of His purpose for our lives. As one of our former (and beautifully related) anchor scriptures proclaims, “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)
We will experience suffering. I deeply wish we didn’t have to, but suffering is a part of this thing called life. This is true not just for those of us who believe and have a relationship with the Holy Trinity but for everyone. However,…
In being in relation with the Holy Trinity, as the old church mamas used to say, “trouble don’t last always” and wading through difficult times can bring great meaning and purpose in our lives. On the other side of each trial is God’s beautiful, glorious, and Divine restoration, recovery, and redemption. God is able…I could end the sentence there, but God is able to take what could have taken us out and transform it into a solid foundation to lift us up.
Whether it’s a breakthrough song/movie, an iconic moment, or a powerful story, like Kanye, there are many narratives of individuals finding hope, peace, joy, and victory on the other side of trials—many of which are captured throughout the Bible. For instance, while it didn’t result in a record-breaking hit (at least not that we know of), we can’t forget the similar story of trial-by-fire shared in the experiences of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the book of Daniel (Daniel 3), these men find themselves locked in a fiery furnace due to their protest against serving the gods of King Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego showed great faith that God would deliver them from any fire the king had for them. Moreover, they proclaimed that even if they weren’t delivered, they would remain steadfast in not worshiping other gods. To the king’s surprise, not only did they survive the fire unscathed, but the presence of Jesus seemed to appear with them as they waded through the furnace. As a result of this, King Nebuchadnezzar, compelled by the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, decreed that their God not be spoken against and promoted them in the province.
What another powerful story. I imagine that many of us have similar life stories of surviving through the fire and somehow thriving in God’s abundance despite it. When we’re amid trials, it can be difficult to remember these past moments of victory and recovery. Have you had any experiences like this in your own life? Instances where the very thing you prayed your way through ended up unexpectedly setting you up for one of the biggest comebacks of your life. Maybe you are in a difficult place now—feeling the burn of the unknown and the blaze of uncertainty for what is on the other side as you patiently wait for God to deliver and recover. Regardless of where we might currently be positioned, as we enter this week, we can all be inspired by the stories of others and most importantly the Word and promises of God. Come what may, we will recover and make it through life’s fires bolder and better than we were before.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
How have you been impacted the “fires” in your life and what have they taught you?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Matthew 5:12
Romans 5:3-5
Romans 8:18
Hebrews 12:10-13
James 1:12
1 John 3:2
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
"I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it."
Simone Biles
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