reflection 1: the man in the fire

"He exclaimed, "Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." 

-Daniel 3:25

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was a king with a bit of an ego. Ol' King Nebbie built a statue of himself, and ordered everyone to bow in worship to it every time any music would be played (as someone with a Spotify account that nearly runs 24/7, I'd be in trouble here). Three friends from God's people of Judah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) opted to refuse this order, as it would lead them to break the Ten Commandments not once, but twice. Thus, they had no interest in worshiping anyone other than the Lord. 

King Nebs did not like that, and as punishment, chose to kill them with a giant pizza oven. He had them thrown in, and as he did, mocked their God. He even asked, "who is the God that can save you from this?" Their response is massive: they said that while the Lord could save them, they were not worried about. Even if He did not choose to save them from this terrible fate, they would not worship the gods of Babylon. Translation: even if He does not save us, He is still God, He is still good, and your gods are still pretend. 

Not only did the Lord save them from the fire, but Jesus Himself came into the fire and personally led them through it. This led to the verse at the top of this post, as Nebbie shouted that a fourth Man in the Fire (who looked like a son of the gods) was there. Jesus was Rack, Shack, and Benny's Man in the Fire. 

I don't know about y'all, but I can get a bit discouraged by stories like this in the Bible. I see Jesus as the Man in the Fire, saving these three from becoming an appetizer, and then I see my own life. I don't see Jesus standing next to me, getting me out of the bad things that happen in my life. What's that about?

Here's the deal: as Christians, we also have the Spirit of God within us. He empowers us, and through His presence, Jesus says that He is "with us, to the end of the age." He is very much with us, and He is very much seeing us through the difficulty in our lives. He did not keep our three amigos from Daniel 3 from facing conspirators, an angry king, or a giant furnace that they were thrown into. Those terrible things certainly came their way, and they absolutely got thrown into a fire intended for their death. God did not keep them from the bad; He simply saw them through it in a way that only He can do. 

He is our Man in the Fire, as well. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, no matter how bleak or how dark, our Jesus will see us through it. He is the Shepherd that leads us through the darkest valley, the Guide through the wilderness. Are you looking to Him to lead you through the flames, or are you too focused on the fire to see Him right beside you?