King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “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 3:24-25
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to give into the idolatry of the culture in which they lived (greed, materialism & celebrity worship). Their defiance so enraged king Nebuchadnezzar that he ordered them to be thrown into a super-heated fiery furnace. But the only effect the fire had on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was to free them from the ropes that bound them. Then to the king’s astonishment, he saw a fourth man walking with them in the fire that looked like ”the Son of God!”
The Bible often uses the image of a fiery furnace to illustrate difficult trials and times of testing. This story shows us how God uses trials to help us experience three important things:
Are you worried about the possibility of a trial? Don’t give in to the pressure to compromise with the world in order to avoid the heat of adversity. Instead, follow the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who boldly declared, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it.”
Are you going through a fiery trial right now? Be encouraged that God will use it to actually bring freedom from the world. Faith is like gold, not wood. It doesn’t get consumed by trials, only purified. You can trust that He won’t let the trial consume you. You can also trust that He will meet you in the midst of it.
We are never alone in our trials. We have a Friend in the fire and His name is Jesus!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to give into the idolatry of the culture in which they lived (greed, materialism & celebrity worship). Their defiance so enraged king Nebuchadnezzar that he ordered them to be thrown into a super-heated fiery furnace. But the only effect the fire had on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was to free them from the ropes that bound them. Then to the king’s astonishment, he saw a fourth man walking with them in the fire that looked like ”the Son of God!”
The Bible often uses the image of a fiery furnace to illustrate difficult trials and times of testing. This story shows us how God uses trials to help us experience three important things:
- Freedom – It’s important to note that, while God didn’t save Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being thrown into the fiery trial, He does free them in the midst of the trial. All the worldly bondages get consumed.
- Protection – God also protected them from any damaging effects of the fire. Not a hair on their head was singed and they didn’t even smell like smoke.
- Fellowship – Finally, God met them in the furnace. Though they were in the fire, they were never alone.
Are you worried about the possibility of a trial? Don’t give in to the pressure to compromise with the world in order to avoid the heat of adversity. Instead, follow the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who boldly declared, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it.”
Are you going through a fiery trial right now? Be encouraged that God will use it to actually bring freedom from the world. Faith is like gold, not wood. It doesn’t get consumed by trials, only purified. You can trust that He won’t let the trial consume you. You can also trust that He will meet you in the midst of it.
We are never alone in our trials. We have a Friend in the fire and His name is Jesus!
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