I remember it like it was yesterday.
I remember sitting there, tears soaking my face as I cried out to God, "Why didn't you answer my prayer?"
I was frustrated, hurt, and confused. If God supposedly loved me and cared for me, why was I walking through heartache? Why was I walking through loss, sorrow, and pain? If it hurts God to see His children hurt, why would He allow it?
You and I aren't the only ones who've ever felt this way, and chances are, it won't be last time we ask those questions. But I can't help but think of Daniel and his friends. They did what God asked them to do. They followed His instructions to a tee. They didn't argue, didn't question, they just obeyed. Yet, they were still thrown into a furnace.
Have you ever been there? You feel like you're doing everything you can to be obedient and faithful, and you still end up thrown into the furnace. You begin to wonder what you're doing wrong. You begin to wonder if God really hears you. You don't know why you keep getting burned. I've been there, and it's a tough place to be. Sometimes our own sin leads into the fire, and other times God allows us to walk through it for a different reason.
Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were nothing but faithful and obedient to the Lord. They followed all of God's instructions instead of King Nebuchadnezzar's. When asked to bow down to false idol, they refused. This was the final straw for the king. He ordered them to be thrown into a blazing hot, fiery furnace. He asked the three men, "....and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?" (Daniel 3:15b). Obviously, King Nebuchadnezzar had no idea who he was dealing with. But check out the men's reply in verses 16-18.
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 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.”
They knew that God's decision to potentially let them die in that furnace, didn't make God any less powerful. They didn't have to understand God's reasoning, they just had to trust it. The same goes for us- we are not required to understand God all the time, but we are called to be obedient despite that. Rack, Shack, and Benny (bonus points if you get the VeggieTales reference) knew that God would still be just as good and just as sovereign, even if they died.
Because they knew that even though what they were walking into wasn't good, their God still is.
And y'all, there is such truth in that.
Because of the sin in this world, we're going to walk through painful times. We're going to walk through seasons filled with fires and floods. Honestly, those are the times we need to cling to the Lord the most. The best part is that although we walk through fire, we don't walk alone.
The King ordered to have the furnace heated seven times the normal temperature (he had a flair for the dramatic). The furnace was so hot that the guards who escorted the three men down there died. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the furnace, still wearing their clothes and tied up and bound.
This right here is the best part.
King Nebuchadnezzar about lost it when he saw not only were the three men alive, but there was a fourth man in the furnace with them. And no, it wasn't Daniel. This man was untied, unharmed, and looked like a son of the gods. The king ordered them to come out.
The men walked out of there completely unharmed. Their clothes weren't burned. They didn't even smell like smoke. While the Bible isn't specific as to whether or not the fourth man in the furnace was an angel or God Himself, one thing is abundantly clear: they had a protector walking with them in the fire. They were not alone. Seeing this caused the king to praise God and believe.
This goes to show that sometimes what we walk through isn't just for us. Sometimes, our struggles become our greatest ministry and testimony. Our struggles and our obedience and faithfulness through them bring glory to God.
If you're walking through fire right now, know you're prayed for. Know that although this may not be good, God still is. You don't walk alone.
God is right there in the fire with you.
Here's some other places in Scripture we're reminded that we're not alone:
