Trial By Fire

Are you in the midst of some kind of fiery trial right now?

You're in the furnace.

The heat keeps getting turned up.

"Does the Bible have anything to say to me today?" you ask.

It sure does.

Just one example: What happened to three guys named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Remember them?

Their story is in the book of Daniel Chapter 3.

They're in Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar sets up this huge statue of himself.

When the music plays.. everyone has to bow down and worship the statue.

Not our three heroes from Israel.

They only worship the one true God.

This leads to a trial by fire.

Literally.

Because they refuse to worship the idol, they're thrown into a blazing hot furnace.

Daniel 3:21-27 (ESV) "Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace.

Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."

He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!"

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men.

The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them."

Yes... they were thrown into the fire.

Circumstances were bad.

Very bad.

But they never let go of their faith.

I think this snapshot BEFORE they were tossed into the furnace really highlights a faith that trusts in God no matter what the outcome might be:

Daniel 3:16-18 (ESV) "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

"God is able to deliver us...........BUT IF NOT....."

God can do it.

But in his infinite love and wisdom He may not.

That's okay.

He knows best.

He's sovereign.

At that point they didn't know how this whole thing was going to turn out.

Either way God was to be worshipped.

And even though he let them be thrown into the fire, He was with them.

They were in trouble but with God.

A safe place to be even if it doesn't look all that safe.

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) "..... when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

Clear the smoke from your eyes.

You'll see Someone standing right there with you.