The Fiery Furnace

In Daniel 3, it tells the story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow down and worship an image of gold. For some unknown reason, Daniel wasn't present at the time.

Through Beth Moore's study on Daniel, I learned a couple of things in this chapter. One is that when the strong one in your group (like Daniel was in their group) is absent, the Lord may be calling you to step up. This is exactly what these men did. They stepped up to the challenge.

Another thing I learned is that when you face a fiery trial, one of 3 scenarios will happen:
1. We can be DELIVERED FROM the fire through which our faith is BUILT.
2. We can be DELIVERED THROUGH the fire through which our faith is REFINED.
3. We can be DELIVERED BY the fire into His arms through which our faith is PERFECTED.

These men knew that the Lord could save them, but even if He didn't, they still would trust Him (Daniel:17-18). When we face trials, do we have this much faith? The Lord is the One who chooses which scenario is the best for us. However, either way, He is with us.