Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them! Daniel 3: 26-27

What happens when you find yourself in a situation you didn’t create, like being falsely accused, mistreated or wronged by others. We may not have been physically thrown into a fiery furnace, but we have certainly walked through some fires.
There was a season in my life where I was happily serving God and landed in the middle of a fiery furnace, much like the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Their story tells us that they were not burned by the flames, nor was a hair on their head singed when they walked out of the fire. In fact, they didn’t even smell like smoke. I wish I could say the same about my story, but the truth is I stunk.

I smelled of smoke because I allowed stinky situations to control my thoughts and feelings. My insecurities magnified my perceived failures and the fake smiles of betrayal burned like hell fire. Where did these attacks come from? Why am I being tied up and thrown in the furnace?

When we find ourselves in a hot situation, many times we panic and make rash and unwise decisions; we feed our anger and give way to bitterness. We allow our emotions to spiral out of control and end up saying or doing things we later regret, only making the situation worse. I have learned that when we control ourselves in these moments of test; to seek Jesus and link ourselves to His grace, God is able to use and give us rest.

The story goes on to say that God didn’t just protect Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, He got in the fire with them. When the enemy starts to whisper in your ear saying that no one cares, I pray that you will stand with confidence and believe with all your heart that no matter how alone you may feel during these trials times, that God is walking right beside you, never leaving or forsaking you. There is no heart so broken that Jesus cannot fix.
After all, Jesus certainly understands what rejection, betrayal, and abuse feels like; He lived it. But He gave His life to set you free from every chain that could hold you back. Every trail that you face from here forward, I pray you can walk confidently knowing you can overcome these fires with His strength and His Grace. Because who the Son sets free, is free indeed.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for these words. I pray for your daughter that is reading this right now, that You protect her Lord and surround her with Your angels. Guide her by Your Holy Spirit that lives within us. Give her clear directions in the way she needs to go. She will not walk in fear, but in faith alone. Help her understand what process she needs to take to get rid of the smoke that is hindering her vision to see You clearly. We love You and we praise You in all the days of our life, in Your sweet and Holy Name, Amen.