We just finished studying the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If you don't know the story, you can read in here in Daniel 3. Basically, the three men get thrown into the fiery furnace because they will not bow down to the idol King Nebecanezzar has made. They survive the furnace, with a little help from "the son of the gods". (i.e. there was a 4th person in the fire with them!!) They came out and King Neb. worshipped God because he had saved them.
Anyway, Beth Moore pointed out that we all may end up in 3 situations, pertaining to fire. (Fire=trials, sicknesses, etc.) The first is that God may deliver us from the fire. In this case He saves us before we are in the fire. In this way, our faith is built up. An example of this would be if we find a lump and the tests come back without it being cancerous.
The second situation could be that God may deliver us through the fire. That is what He does in the story of the three men. He lets them get in, but He does not let the fire kill them. They come out on the other side refined by the fire. Our faith will be refined because of this. An example of this for me was when I worked up north in McLennan. I came out of that refined with a stronger belief in God and His amazing strength.
The last situation could be that God may deliver us to Him by the fire. This is the one that no one likes to talk about. The one that we as humans have a hard time facing, understanding, comprehending. Sometimes God uses the fire to take us to His arms. We want to stay here on earth, our human selves do, because we forget or do not fully comprehend what lies beyond this life.
We shouldn't. As Christians we should rejoice when it is our time, when God decides to take us home. But, it is hard. Hard to let go.
I just wanted to share this with you all because I feel like there is a lot of death, fire and despair going around. The economy (a fire) is bad. Friends of family are facing tough times and my dad goes back for a check-up next week to see if the cancer is gone or is still around. Things seem out of our control, and that's because they are. We are not in control. God is. Whether you believe in Him or not, He doesn't need you to believe in Him for Him to be in control....
I guess I find this comforting and even hopeful. If I let God be in control of my own life and follow Him, then my life will turn out better than anything else I could ever imagine or do on my own.
In the end, if it is my time to be delivered to His arms, then I will remember what awaits me: a big hug from my Heavenly Father. In that moment my faith will be perfected. I can never reach perfection here, but I know I will be made perfect there! What an awesome thought!!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
-Daniel 3: 16-18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Timothy 4:18
