In The Midst of The Fire

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego has been something that has been stuck in my mind since I began to preach the Gospel. The story of facing impossible odds and being able to boldly proclaim faith in God is something that we do not often see.

The story goes, that these three men where in the midst of captivity along with Daniel. They were brought out of their homeland into a foreign place, and King Nebuchadnezzar instilled a law that forces all to bow and worship the idol he had created when they heard the music play. Yet, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. They were brought before the king for judgement, and when the king offered them their final chance to either worship the idol or be cast into the fire, they stood their ground.

It was not just the fact that they were willing to hold their convictions in the face of the fire; it was the fact that they were “not careful to answer thee in this matter.” (Daniel 3:16 KJV)

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. ¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.(Daniel 3:16-18 KJV)

These men looked at the evilest thing they could and willing set their lives on the line. They had so much faith in the Almighty that they knew God was able to deliver them from the impossibility, deliver them out of the fire. Yet, even if God did not deliver them, they were not going to turn their back on God.

These moments in our lives when we come face to face with the fire are far more often then we would like. The moments when we are given the choice of suffering an excrutiating death or turn from God are more often then we would like to admit. The moment when we are ridiculed for our faith, or the moment when we think to ourselves “If the gun was to my head, who would I choose?” It is these moments when I look back to these three men. They were bold enough to say they would rather die in the fire then turn on the Almighty God. They remained faithful, and my favorite part of this story is that God proved faithful again.

¹⁹ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. m²⁰ And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²² Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. ²⁵ He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:19-25)

The three men where literally cast into a fire that was so hot it instantly killed the strongest guards Nebuchadnezzar had. They were in the midst their torment and knew that God could have delivered them and maybe chose not to. The moment from being bound in their coats and brought before the fire, the moment when all else seemed lost, they kept God as their one and only. Then the Son of God showed up in the midst of the flames.

When we are down and out or in the midst of our firery furnace, remember that God shows up in the flames. You are not alone. However, even when we feel as God is not there, remember these words:

I know you’re able, and I know you can, Save through the fire with your mighty hand; But Even If you don’t My Hope Is You Alone. (MercyMe Even IF)