Scripture:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.’

 

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual…So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?’

 

‘Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,’ they replied.

 

‘Look!’ Nebuchadnezzar shouted. ‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!’

 

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” Daniel 3:16-19, 23-27 (NLT)

 

Perspective:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were trying to honor God in a foreign land. When there was a decree issued that blatantly went against their faith, they couldn’t succumb to it. Since they were more concerned with honoring God, they faced the most intense persecution of their lives. They were given the choice to bow down to the idol or die for their faith. When confronted by Nebuchadnezzar, they believed God was able to rescue them. However, their following statement showed the true source of their faith. They said, “But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Instead of basing their faith on the outcome, they were resolute in believing God no matter the outcome. In that moment when the fire was being turned up, one could imagine the emotions. They kept believing God for deliverance, but God was working in a different way. The story of these three men shows that God was even more present in the fire. They could have never scripted God helping them in this way. They could have strategized, negotiated, or begged, yet they decided to trust God in that moment. As they were honoring God with their lives, they had a confidence about Him working in their lives. They wanted the miracle of deliverance, but God was giving them the testimony of His sustaining power. When they walked out of the fire, their testimony began to change the people around them. 

 

The fire is not the place we would choose. Tests and trials come into our lives in a variety of ways. Some will experience this type of persecution for their faith, while others will face insurmountable odds in the situations in their lives. What happens when the doctor’s test comes back with a negative report? What happens when there is the unexpected loss of a loved one? What happens when you are facing the biggest test of your life? How we respond in these situations reflects whether or not our faith is contingent on circumstances. Jesus is able to be even more present as you walk through your difficulty. In order to experience God’s sustaining power, something must need sustenance. When you walk through a very difficult place with Jesus, His sustaining power changes you. It brings you to a new level of trusting God, because it’s your only option. It can also change those around you.  It is God who is able to provide deliverance from the fire or through the fire. The experience of these three men demonstrates that God is bigger than our circumstances. He is able to provide the deliverance that we need. As we trust Him instead of the outcome, we set ourselves up for a miracle we could not have expected or planned.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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About Hona Amer

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