When I was just three years old, my father preached a message titled "He Saved Others, but Himself He Could Not Save." I was so young, but something about that message marked me. Even now, I can still feel the weight of the story he told—the urgency, the love, the sacrifice. It was more than just a story. It was a picture that settled deep into my heart. It became one of the clearest pictures of trust I have ever carried.
He Saved Others, but Himself He Could Not Save
The fire roared through the high-rise, fierce and unforgiving. Smoke billowed into the sky, curling thick and black around the tenth-floor windows, where a father stood with his three small children. The heat was relentless, the air almost impossible to breathe. Panic pressed in from every side, but there was no way out—except one. Just six feet away stood another building.
The father looked at the narrow gap between life and death, and without hesitation, he made a decision. Bracing his feet against one ledge, he stretched his body across the open space, gripping the opposite building with his hands. His arms strained, his legs trembled, but he held firm, becoming a bridge for his children.
"Johnny, come on, son—you can do this," he called, his voice steady, despite the fear that must have gripped his heart.
Johnny stepped forward, his small legs shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his face as he looked at the impossible path before him—his father's body trembling beneath the weight of the moment. But he knew his father. He knew his voice. And somehow, that was enough.
Step by step, sobbing but determined, he moved forward. His father's legs quivered beneath him, muscles burning, but he did not falter. At last, Johnny reached the other side, and strong hands pulled him into safety.
"Susie," the father called next.
She clung tightly to the windowsill, fear written all over her face.
"Daddy, I'm scared," she cried, her voice trembling.
"I won't let you fall, sweetheart," he said softly.
She could feel his body shaking as she stepped onto him, every movement uncertain. But she trusted him. Slowly, carefully, she made her way across—over his trembling legs, across his back—until she, too, was lifted into safety.
Then came little Ben.
"Ben, my brave boy," the father called.
Ben's tears fell freely as he looked at his father—at the strain in his arms, the trembling in his body, the fire creeping closer. Everything in him wanted to stay, to cling to what felt safe, even as danger surrounded him. But his father was calling. And so, with small, fearful steps, Ben climbed onto him. Every inch forward was a battle. His father's strength was fading, his grip weakening, but still he held on. (Photo via Unsplash)
At last, Ben reached the other side. The rescuers grabbed him and pulled him in, but in that moment, they had to release the father's hand. His feet, already burned by the flames, could no longer hold. His strength was gone. And as his children cried out, safe at last, the father slipped... and fell.
His final act of love had bridged them to life, but it cost him everything.
Where Trust Begins
When I heard that message as a little girl, I ran to the altar and gave my heart to Jesus Christ. Even at three years old, I understood something powerful: someone had given everything so that I could be saved.
That story is a picture of Christ. He gave His life so that we could be saved. But today, I want to focus on something different. I want to focus on the children.
Those three children stepped out onto something that didn't make sense. Their father's body was trembling. The situation was terrifying. Everything in the natural told them to be afraid. And yet, they trusted him. Why? Because they had a relationship with him. They knew his voice. They knew his heart. They believed, even in the middle of fear, that he would not fail them.
Their lives were saved because they trusted their father enough to move when he said "come." That is where trust begins. In the same way, trust in God flows out of relationship with Him. We cannot separate the two. When we spend time with Him—when we know His voice, His character, His love—trust becomes the natural response.
The reason many people struggle to trust God is not because He is untrustworthy. It is because they do not truly know Him. Trust is built in relationship.
Knowing the One Who Holds You in the Middle of the Fire
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:7 that we can have a peace that passes all understanding. That kind of peace does not come from circumstances being perfect. It comes from knowing the One who holds us in the middle of the fire.
Worry, on the other hand, is a sign of misplaced trust. It grows where relationship is lacking. When we don't fully trust God, we try to carry what was never meant for us to carry.
I have had moments in my life where I questioned decisions—wondering if I chose right, if I missed God, if things would fall apart. That is human. But there were also moments where concern turned into worry, and worry began to consume my thoughts. And every time the root was the same: I had stepped away from trust.
Scripture reminds us again and again not to live in that place of worry. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our lives. In Philippians 4:6, we are told to be anxious for nothing. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are invited to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
Why would God be so direct about this? Because He wants us to trust Him.
Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good for those who love Him. That kind of promise requires trust. It requires us to believe that even when things don't look right, God is still working. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
That is why Jesus tells us in Matthew 18 and Mark 10 that we must become like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Children trust.
I see it with my own grandchildren. From the youngest to the oldest, when I tell them I am going to do something for them, they believe me. They don't analyze it. They don't question it. They don't worry about whether I will follow through. They trust me. Why? Because we have a relationship.
That same kind of trust is what God desires from us—not a blind, empty belief but a deep, relational trust rooted in knowing who He is.
Do You Really Believe What You Believe You Believe?
So how do we build that relationship?
We spend time with Him. We pray. We read His Word. We worship. We sit in His presence—not out of obligation but out of desire to know Him, because it is possible to do things for God and still not truly know Him. Jesus warns us of this in Matthew 7:22–23, where people speak of all they did in His name, yet He responds, "I never knew you." This is not about performance; it is about relationship.
I have heard it asked, "Do you really believe what you believe you believe?" That question is worth sitting with. Do we truly believe that God loves us, that He will take care of us, and that He is good?
Because if we do, our lives will reflect it. We will walk in peace instead of anxiety. We will carry faith instead of fear. We will have confidence that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
From the time I gave my heart to Jesus at three years old, there has been a thread of trust woven through my life. There were moments when my faith was shaken, times when circumstances felt overwhelming, but I always came back to one truth: I know Him. And because I know Him, I can trust Him.
When I felt alone, He was there. When I had no one else to lean on, He was faithful. Time and time again, He has proven Himself trustworthy, not because life was always easy but because He never left me. That is the foundation of real trust—not that every circumstance makes sense, not that every answer comes immediately, and not that we never feel fear, but that we know the One who is calling us forward.
God is a good God. He loves us right where we are. And we can trust Him completely. Because without faith, it is impossible to please God, and we cannot have true faith without relationship.
Lord, thank You that You are a loving and merciful God. Teach us to trust You more deeply. Draw us into closer relationship with You so that even in the fire we can step forward with confidence, knowing You will never let us fall.
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Sherilyn Hamon-Miller
CEO of Christian International
Email:Â ci-info@christianinternational.com
Website:Â christianinternational.com
Sherilyn Hamon-Miller serves as CEO of Christian International Ministries. Sherilyn Hamon-Miller also functions as the administrator and personal assistant to Dr. Bill Hamon. She is the only daughter of Drs. Bill and Evelyn Hamon, blessed with four children, two children-in-law, and seven delightful grandchildren. She lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Sherilyn's diverse experiences in business, ministry, and life have endowed her with unique insights into effective life management.
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