Friday, June 3, 2011

'Fiery Furnaces'

Daniel 3:19-28 

 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."

 25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
      So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
There are fiery furnaces we face in life. Challenges that seem to be so middle of the summer, black top heated, barefoot scolding hot that you break out in a body soaking sweat just thinking about them. These furnaces always seem like they will most certainly end in our demise...or at the very least threaten to burn us out or burn us down. Sometimes they seem so hot, we wonder how we will ever survive. My health has been one such furnace for me. In the past two and half years, I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (causing significant weight gain) and sleep apnea. I have contracted mastoiditis that came from a severe ear infection and then evolved into a brief bout of facial paralysis, mononucleosis that was at its worst while my thyroid was malfunctioning and my sleep apnea was kicking in (resulting in fatigue that made me feel like I hadn't slept in days, even after a solid eight hours), and pluracy, which was an infection in the lining of my lungs that made me feel as if I was having a heart attack. Not to mention the persistent back pain, ingrown toe nails so bad I had to have them removed surgically, and all the other various sprains, strains, and autoimmune diseases. There have been many times that I wanted out of my furnace. There have also been many times that I wanted to just shrivel up and die in it. But the thing I have failed to realize until recently is that my furnace is making me, not roasting me. My faith of greater worth than gold is being refined by this fire. Knowing this spiritual truth doesn't always make it easier while I traverse through the proverbial hotbox of challenges, but it does comfort me, in a deep down in my soul sort of way. God cares enough to cook me thoroughly, he wants to say of me 'Well Done' not 'Rare'!


The key I suppose, as it was for our faithful brothers in the OT, is to trust in God no matter what we face. He leads me to green pastures, but he also leads me to the desert to be tempted. He takes me to the highest mountains of joy, and leads me through the valley of the shadow of death. He threw me into this furnace, so I might as well learn from it. And while I am getting crispy around the edges, I should worship him too, being grateful for the heat, that is refining my soul. Rather than serve the false gods of selfishness, or laziness, or worldly pleasures (often the things we retreat to in times of trouble)...it is our calling to serve and worship none other than the Lord our God, come fiery furnace or high water!!!! Trusting God, even when it's hotter than Hades, is what it is all about. Challenges are often the perfect way to help us grow, but because they are the perfect growth agent doesn't mean we approach them perfectly, after all who does? Did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sweat? Did they fear the worst as the soldiers carrying them were burning up right in front of them? Surely they did. But still they went forward. They still held to their convictions, to their faith, and to their God. And who came to their rescue? Who walked with them even in the most hazardous of situations? Our rescuer, our protector, and our warrior, the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter the heat of our challenges or the bitter cold of our struggles, Jesus walks with the faithful and champions their cause!!!! Now enjoy the cooking of your soul and the baking of your faith, because, after all, nobody with a raw soul ever made it to pearly gates!

1 comment:

  1. Question, is their a poster I could buy of this painting or drawing with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Where do I go to find it, I've been searching everywhere for this exact one.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete