A God Who Walks In the Fire

I woke up meditating on the sheer awesomeness of my Creator this morning.

Bible Story after Bible story flooded my thinking as I was considering how great of a God I serve. (This in and of itself is an answer to prayer because i've been praying Psalms 1 for a while now that I would meditate on the Word day and night)

I thought about Daniel in the lion's den and how we serve a God who shuts the mouths of lions. When a child of God chooses to honor God above all else God comes in to shut the mouth of the enemy. The Word says that the enemy roams around LIKE (not that he is one but he tries to act like one) a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, BUT IT'S OKAY, we serve a God who shuts the mouths of lions.

Now I think about Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. These men were thrown into a fiery furnace 7x hotter than what the normal temperature was. It was so hot that the men that threw them into the furnace were burned!

I want the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I find in our own lives that as we walk towards the fire (any trial) we immediately begin to lose faith. We ask God WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME! WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE ARE YOU? We begin to second guess our own decisions, perhaps we second guess God, anxiety and worry often set it. Here is these guys' response as they come to face the fire and Nebuchadnezzar asks the men if God will save them from their sure death.
DANIEL 3:
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

In other words: We know our God CAN deliver us, We know our God WILL deliver us our of your hand, but if He doesn't we still serve God.

These men weren't doubting whether God would save them, they were saying no matter my circumstances, in a fire or out, lifted high or very low, alive or burned, God is THE GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, and NONE BUT HIM WILL RECEIVE OUR WORSHIP!

Then the Lord showed up in the midst of the fire. He didn't stand beside it, He didn't reach a hand down and pull them out, He walked into the fire with them. That's my Jesus. That's His Character.

These men had a decision to be beat down, to lose heart, to lose faith, but they STOOD UP UNDER TRIAL, and Jesus came and walked in the fire with them. Even the king yelled out, I thought we only threw three men in the fire, who is that fourth man that looks like a son of the gods?!? (Daniel 3:25)

Then even the king worshipped the God of Shadrech Meshech and Abednego. The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The God of Jessika. The God of you. The Creator of the Universe. The One True God.

So what if? What if often times we're led through fire, so that Jesus can come in and walk with us through it, drawing us closer to Him, and if our faith will stand, if we will not deny the Lord, through the fire others will see Jesus and praise Him.

We serve a God who walks in the fire, will you stand firm in your faith in the midst of fire?

Be Blessed,
J. Tate