“Look! …I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25 NKJV
Life can really be a pain sometimes! You do everything right, yet bills still pile up, spouses leave, loved ones die, jobs are lost. This is not what you signed on for when you accepted Christ.
God said He’d be with you wherever you go, but where is He now? The flames are rising higher, the smoke billows around, and you feel like you’re about to be consumed.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego must have felt this way, as Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers hauled them towards the “burning, fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:15).
Just moments before, they had stood in defiance, refusing to worship the king’s golden idol. God should have rewarded their good behavior, right? Yet, they can feel the heat on their faces, hear the roar of the flames, and they know this is probably it.
But it’s not it, for Jesus awaits them in the flames. The only things destroyed are the ropes which bind them and for a few short moments they walk with God.
James 1:2-4 tells us, “…count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”
Joy? Is he kidding? Why would I rejoice when I lose my job, get harassed by my boss, or suffer financial loss? Why? Because “…the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
God allow trials come your way not to punish you, but “…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7)
Trials burn away the ropes of sin and habit which bind you. The flames burn away the dross which holds you back. It refines you, helping you become the man or woman God made you to be.
So, when trials come your way, don’t fear the flames. Don’t pull back. Let them do their work. Let them refine you that you may come out shining like pure gold.
And don’t forget, you are not alone. Jesus awaits you in the flames. The same Jesus who stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego so long ago, stands by your side today. He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) It’s in life’s “burning, fiery furnace” we walk with God.
Today, when the flames arise and the smoke billows around, don’t be afraid…
Step into the fire and walk with God!