He’s With You In The Fire

Next to Jesus, Daniel is my favorite person in the Bible. I admire him because “he resolved” to do what was right in God’s eyes. He didn’t lower his standards to try and please others or gain their acceptance. His main interest was in bringing glory to our God. That’s a huge inspiration for us Christians today who are trying to stay true to God.

I’m sure I’ll write more about Daniel in the future, but right now I want to draw your attention to his three good friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It makes perfect sense that Daniel would have chosen them as his close friends. Because like Daniel, they were determined not to defile themselves by worshipping other gods. (Nowadays “other gods” can also be money, jobs, other people, or anything we put before Christ.) They resolved to worship the One True God.

Even though these young men endured a lot, it was evident that in their hearts, they always remembered who God said they were. Because of their loyalty to God, they were thrown into the fiery furnace, BUT GOD was in the furnace with them. Before being thrown into the furnace, these guys had already declared that they didn’t need to defend themselves, because God was able to deliver them. And guess what? He did!

They ended up coming out of the furnace completely unharmed! The Bible says they didn’t even smell like smoke. The evil king, King Nebuchadnezzar, who tried to take their lives ended up giving praise to our God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego….

Daniel 3:28(NIV), “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Reminder #1-Don’t lower your standards for other people. Stay true to who you are in Christ.

Reminder#2-People may say many negative things about you, but never forget who God says you are!

Reminder#3-Be careful of the company you keep. True friends encourage your faith in God and want to see you do well in life.

Remind #4: When people mistreat you, God is able to defend and deliver you.

Reminder#5-When you walk in God’s ways, people will take notice and want to know more about the God you serve.

Last but not least…

Daniel 3:30(NIV), “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”

Reminder#6-When you serve God, His favor rest upon you. So get ready to be promoted to the next level!

When the fires rage in your life, remember these three young Hebrews and don’t give up. God will always stand with you in the fire!!

Reflect: Can you remember a time in your life where God protected you as you walked through the fire?