Tuesday, 03 November 2009
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Into the fire
Daniel 3:16-18
“No liberty is true and no joy is genuine unless it is founded in the fear of the Lord and a good conscience.”
Thomas a’ Kempis
Today is going to be a struggle. Just not feelin’ it. Focusing on some ongoing situations instead of God. What would have happened to our intrepid heroes today if they had not been lasered in on God? They would have been cooked crispy critters. The furnace was not a furnace as you and I know it. It was literally a building. I don’t know what they used it for, but it was not your average everyday household set up. King Nebuchadnezzar was so irked that these men dared disobey his command that he had the furnace heated to seven times hotter than normal. The soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace died. It was that hot.
These guys had no idea what was going to happen. I am guessing that they completely expected to burst into flames along with their captors. But they didn’t. Not even close. On top of surviving the killer heat, they met someone pretty special in the furnace. When the King looked into the furnace from a safe distance of course, he saw four men walking around. Special guest of the furnace was none other that Christ Himself. In the midst of the heat, in the midst of the expected pain was found unexpected and sweet relief.
Ahhh, the lesson has appeared. I should have known. God makes Himself known and His presence felt in the some of the most unexpected times and places. These three young men were able to walk without fear into the furnace - the worst thing they probably ever faced - because they feared the Lord more than a mere man. They were able to experience the incredible joy of a face-to-face meeting with Jesus in the middle of the worst time of their lives. True and pure freedom is only found in abandoning oneself into the hand of God. No situation is beyond God. I am best served in serving Him regardless of what is going on.
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