Are you ready to face fiery trials?

By Todd Barrier  

I was studying the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego this week, and it amazes me.  

You remember the story, right? Most people recognize it when we mention the words “fiery furnace.”  

These three amazing guys had been thrown into a fiery furnace because they didn’t follow King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to bow down to a golden image he had made. When the king found out, he was enraged and had the men thrown into the furnace.  

Miraculously, they were saved. They came out of the furnace without even a hint of the smell of smoke on them!  

This miracle was performed by God and really had nothing to do with the three boys – as far as the miracle being accomplished goes. Nevertheless, their faith was awesome and something to which we should aspire.  

The most amazing part to me comes in Daniel 3:16-18, where the Bible says, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter … Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 

‘But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’” 

This was after they were told they would go into the furnace if they didn’t do what they had been told. Even in the face of physical consequences, it was their spiritual relationship with God that mattered the most. Wow!  

How will our faith look when we are faced with physical consequences for remaining faithful to God?  

I hope and pray we will look at this story for more than the furnace miracle – as awesome as that was – and look at it as an example of how strong our faith should be! Are you ready to face the fiery trials and hold fast to your faith?