An interesting truth found throughout the Bible is that God’s people speak of His protection while in the midst of situations in which His protection appears to be absent. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are perfect examples. These men trusted God to the brink of death. There were so many opportunities that God could have used to show His might. He could have helped them escape before the Chaldeans brought them before King Nebuchadnezzar. He could have softened the heart of the king and had them released. He could have caused the furnace to break, or supernaturally go out so it couldn’t be heated. There are countless ways God could have shown His glory.
As I was reading through their story in Daniel 3: 8-30, I wondered if the men ever became anxious as they looked to God and expectantly waited for Him to save them. With each passing moment, the possibility of their death became more of a reality. Every scenario in which God could have but didn’t show up with a visible act of grandeur to overtake their enemies would have produced only one of two results. It could have caused their faith to intensify or unravel little by little. It didn’t unravel. Amazingly, their faith rooted itself deeper into their hearts and strengthened their resolve
“If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Daniel 3:17-18
They knew God was able but didn’t know if it was God’s will to save them. They loved and trusted Him all the same. Their deliverance wasn’t a contingency for their belief. They were captured, and a sentence of death was set. They watched those who bound them be consumed by the flames. Then they fell bound into the flames themselves. God was their security through it all. They stood strong in their faith and didn’t waiver for one second
Since the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. Daniel 3:22-23
This is a grand faith. It is a faith that is available to us all. Not only that, it is required of us all. God doesn’t prevent us from experiencing the furnaces and difficulties of life. We will have trouble; we are promised troubles. Those experiences aren’t bigger than God, they are part of the broken world we live in. In stark contrast to the goodness of God, we should see the issues and struggles and let them lead us to greater worship of God as we are reminded of who He is throughout Scripture – the Conquering King.
I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33
Life comes with heartache and pain. It comes with loss and grief. It is messy. We will not always see how God is working in the midst of it. His sovereignty doesn’t bend to our limited viewpoint and will not be controlled by our thoughts and plans. That can be frustrating, but should also be a great relief. We are not God. We can release control, just as Shadrach, Meschack, and Abednego did. “Even if,” they said, knowing that God was in control and trusting His glory would be seen despite anything else.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?” “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king. He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them. Daniel 3:24-27
We must continually realign our hearts, not so the situation will change, but so we will. Our faith and focus must firmly be on a God who can, but whose will may not be to deliver us from the difficulty we are up against. These men came out of a furnace turned up 7 times hotter than what was normal. They might have felt the heat, but those looking onward saw God, and they saw the fire had no physical effect on them. That challenges my heart.
It is a constant struggle in my heart to see and experience trials in life and to hold fast to the truth that they don’t negate God’s love for me. Proof of God’s love is not in the ease of my existence, but in the underserved pain and suffering of Jesus Christ. Whether I am suffering due to my own sin or the sin of others, I have to remind myself that I have already been given more than I deserve.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
Life will still come with its highs and lows, but those are both blessings. We am empowered through Christ to remain grounded through it all. The Apostle Paul reached a point in is a faith where he was “content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities (2 Corinthians 12:10).” I am certainly not at that point and don’t have the consistency of faith I would like when I face adversity. However, each struggle is building character and resolve in me that couldn’t come any other way.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
Instead of burying our head in the sand or resorting to self-purposed solutions, we choose to submit to the guidance of the Word. Through ebb and flow of life, we can be transformed to develop a faith that allows God’s glory to be made known through our steadfast obedience. Through prayerful submission, we can ask God to give us a faith that keeps us to remain content in Christ. One obstacle at a time, we must choose not to make Christ’s Lordship conditional. Our declaration to own hearts must be, “If it is Your will God, change my circumstance. If it is not Your will, I love and trust you all the same. May Your glory be seen either way.” Christ, our example, prayed a similar prayer before His crucifixion. Not once, but three times right before His death, He prayed a prayer of submission. Likewise, we must continually realign our hearts not so the situation will change, but so we will.
Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And he came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. After leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Matthew 26:42-44