One of the most popular miracles in the Bible is this story from Daniel… when three devoted servants of the Most High God refused to bow to the statue that Nebuchadnezzar set up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew the consequences if they defiled the king’s edict… a fiery death. But their devotion to their God and His commandments outweighed their fear. They DID NOT bow and they WERE thrown into the fire. But then Nebuchadnezzar jumped out of his seat when he saw four men in the fire, unbound, and walking around. He was actually looking at a Christophany… an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. Hence, Jesus was with them in the fire.
I believe this happened for everyone who would come after them … everyone down through the ages. Everyone who would be thrown into the fire as well. Here’s the thing… God may not deliver us from the fire, but He does promise us to be with us in the midst of it. But we often get so focused on praying for deliverance that we miss the fact that Jesus is right there with us. As I pondered this story again today, I thought about what these three Jewish men went through in the fire.
Something tells me that in that moment, they never felt so loved, so protected, so valued, so at peace. The fire wasn’t hot at all… Jesus, the Living Water, was right there in their midst. It reminded me that God always has a purpose in everything… a glorious purpose. He has a purpose even in the fire. Maybe He’s allowed it to so that you will know His presence even more, or to show His character or the gospel to others, or to teach us to trust more, or to grow our faith. I do believe that it’s in the difficulties, the trials, the struggles, the fire, that our faith grows. It’s in those places where we truly get to know Him.
Those fires can make us bitter or better. It just depends on how we handle the flames… will we let Jesus wrap His arms around us or will we let anger rise to the surface? Will we look at Jesus or will we focus on the fire seeking to devour us? Remember… you will never stay in the fire for long, but you can make the best of it when you’re in it. Of course, we would not be human if we didn’t pray for deliverance. But let me encourage you to let this time of difficulty teach you new things and bring you closer to Jesus. Hope this encourages you today.