The God Who Walks Alongside Us

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound,

walking around in the fire unharmed!

And the fourth looks like a god!”

Daniel 3:25 (NLT)

            Some of us have read or heard the story of the fiery furnace so many times, we’ve become inured to the test of faith Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego underwent. So let’s revisit this passage of Scripture. First of all, these three Hebrews were young when they were taken into captivity (some commentators believe Daniel was about 13 or 14 years old – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Daniel’s friends, so it is probable they were all teenagers at the time). While the Bible does not say for sure, it is possible they were made eunuchs. Their birth names were changed from Hananiah (Jehovah is gracious), Mishael (One who belongs to God), and Azariah (Jehovah helps) to derivatives of the Babylonian gods Aku and Nabu.

            Not only had they lost everything, but now their very lives were in jeopardy. Despite the king’s orders to bow down before the gold statue, these three men refused. The king even offered them a second chance, but the Hebrew men stood firm. They were fully committed to the one true God. In the face of threats, they stood the test. Not because they weren’t afraid. Not because they were superheroes. Not because God had revealed the outcome to them. But because they trusted God’s promises. They knew death wasn’t the real enemy. The father of lies was their true foe.

            God could have changed the kings’ mind. He could have extinguished the fire. He could have liberated them from captivity. But He didn’t. He allowed them to go through the trial because He had a greater purpose. And in the midst of the fire, God was with them. He sent a heavenly being to stand alongside them in their greatest hour of need. Not only did they survive, but not a hair on

their heads was singed and their clothes remained intact. They didn’t even smell of smoke! God displayed His sovereignty, proving He was wholly in control.

            Are you walking through the flames right now? A diagnosis that worries you? A prognosis that instills fear in your heart? A future that seems bleak? A problem that seems insurmountable? God may not remove the trial, but He will walk with you through the trial. The God who promised never to leave us or forsake us is the same God today. He will be with us every step of the way. That’s a promise that never expires!

Takeaway: God may not part the waters, but He will carry us through the waters

For further reading:

·         Isaiah 43:1-4

·         Joshua 1:5

·         Isaiah 41:10

·         Psalm 23:4