“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you” (Isaiah 43:2; NLT). I love this verse in Isaiah. God is telling Isaiah that He will be with Him through the most difficult times.
As believers, God is always with us.
My thoughts always focus on Daniel chapter 3, when I hear or read this verse in Isaiah. Daniel 3 recounts the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and the fiery furnace. As the story goes, King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden image made, and he wanted everyone to worship it.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to worship the image. After confronting Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego Nebuchadnezzar give them another chance to worship the image.
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer to this question. If we are thrown into the fire, our God, whom we serve save us from it. And He will save us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the object of gold that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18;NLT)
They are thrown into the fiery furnace.
God was testing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s faith. It is only through testing that we learn to trust in what God can do.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were ready to see God work in their lives. They were willing to go into the fire. Even if God saved them or not. They knew God’s name would be glorified because they were willing to stand up for Him.
Once in the furnace, they were not alone.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was very surprised and stood up in a hurry. He said to his leaders, “Did we not throw three men who were tied up into the fire?” They answered, “That is true, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men lose and walking about in the fire without being hurt! And the fourth one looks like a son of the gods (or the Son of God)!” (Daniel 3:25-25; NLT)
In our lives, when we are standing in the fire, God is always with us. Our trust in Him has an opportunity to grow. It is also worth noting that our situations many times, do not go unnoticed by other people In our trials, we can influence the people around us. Nebuchadnezzar would not have known the faithfulness of God if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had not taken a stand for God.
In the fire, Nebuchadnezzar sees God. In our trials, do people see Christ in us?
It is essential to realize that our trials are not just for our growth all the time but to encourage those around us.
Are you standing in the fire right now? How can you use this time in the fire to encourage someone in Christ or win them to Christ?
