“Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace“….Daniel 3:21 KJV

“24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like the son of the gods.” Daniel 3: 21.24-27 KJV

Still emerging from a very recent fiery furnace in the past few months, i was led to this scripture afresh during the course of my quiet time study recently. The Lord used it to admonish and refocus my heart. Perhaps this may be beneficial to some of you brethren out there who are in the midst of some fiery trials at the moment yourselves…..

Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were bound by the king’s strong men & cast into the midst of the fiery furnace which had been heated up 7x. Yet in the very midst of the fire which was meant to consume them, they were unbound!; Walking freely without hindrance. Wholly untouched by their present circumstance but rather richly fellowship’ing with Christ and each other.

What was meant to be their undoing became a higher point of testimony and worship unto the Lord.

How is this relevant to me?:

  1. I likened the fiery furnace to the fire of persecution which must as a matter of course be visited upon the lives of every child/son of God at different stages in the course of our walk.
    There are 3 sources of this fiery trials that each one of us are cast into:
    (i) God: God periodically designs fiery trials for our testing & maturation. Job 23:10
    (ii) Satan: Continually seeks to steal, kill and destroy the people of God. John 10:10
    (iii) Ourselves: We fall into certain trials because of foolish choices. Proverbs 19:3
  2. Being bound speaks to the emotional/financial/social or spiritual hindrances and limitations which have been maliciously cast upon me at different stages by ‘strong men’ in my Life [Family, School, Office, extended-family, society]
    Shock-Horror: Even in my local assembly!!.
  3. Jesus never promised me a faith walk free of trials and persecutions.
    If anything, He guarantees that this MUST needs be the case if i must become like Him.John 15:20 What He does guarantee me is that no matter the shade of my particular experience, Nothing will be ale to separate me from His love. He is always with me: irrespective of whether I ‘feel’ Him or Not.Romans 8:38-39
  4. I need to continually remind myself that His ways are far above my ways Isaiah 55:8. The bible is replete with evidence that shows God permits His people to be cast into these furnaces and even sometimes ‘cultivates’ or ‘Initiates’ them for His divine purpose of ‘maturity intended testing’….(which is often a pre-requisite for promotion)
  5. Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were men without any blemish who maintained their consecration by not partaking of the Kings meat. Still, they had to pass through this test in order for the name of God to be glorified and for them to be promoted to the next dimension!
  6. Perhaps i am not yet like these 3 men (though If i let the Holy Spirit have His way in me, i will become like Christ who is the greatest). Many times i discover that my heart is easily marred by blemishes & wounds, and my natural tendency is to react emotionally (soulishly) more than spiritually when i find myself cast into the midst of the fiery furnace. This has to change!.
  7. Crucially i must let the mindset of Christ be formed in me through prayer, daily study and meditation on the word of God. One major benefit that this will yield to me would be the ability to recognise the opportunity presented in the midst of every trial. The opportunity to see and develop a more intimate walk with the 4th man in the fire Christ Jesus.
  8. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I must learn to cast my focus intently on Jesus, waiting on Him and specifically looking out for His voice and presence.
    * not on the strong men who bound me,..(for they are merely involuntary teachers)
    * not on the circumstances of the situation and how it makes me ‘feel’..
    * not on justifying myself through the multitude of explanations, wailing,
    lamentations and self-defence speeches. B    ut leaning on him as my advocate and
    letting Him supply the words and the correct emotional response to the
    accusations.
    This is the way that i will find the necessary help to become unbound from the bonds of hatred, anxiety, bitterness, vengeance and instead abound in His love.
  9. I must consciously give up my Anger, give up my lamentations, give up my railing counter-accusations, give up my self-pity and give up my bitterness.
    I must see them for what they really are: Veil’s which must be torn away if i am
    to clearly behold His face and  bring forth any godly fruit of the spirit.
  10. Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego ‘walked freely in the midst of the fiery furnace with the 4th man in the fire. For far too long i have walked in the midst of the fiery furnaces still bound in one hand or one leg and in some part of my heart. Wholly unable to embrace the freedom and fullness of Joy that drawing closer to Him presents..
  11. Yet it has not all being doom and gloom. I have discovered that on average i have experienced and felt His presence and even seen Him on occasion during those periods of my greatest trials and pain. Perhaps this is why Paul desired to know Him more even ‘in the fellowship of his suffering’Phi 3:10. It is better to key into this than into the negative vibes and emotions that the furnace presents.
  12. I must understand that GOD is so committed to bringing me to His expected end for me that He will continuously ensure that i keep repeating these tests and passing through this cycle of fiery trial just as Gold is continually passed through fire for refinement.
    It will be better for me to be a fast learner in this matter for my God is relentless in his purpose of forging me into the image of His Son. And if i am honest with myself i am tired of being a repeat student.
  13. Will this cycle of being cast into the fiery furnace ever end??
    Short answer: Yes….depending on meeting certain conditions
    From God’s perspective:
    When like Job I come forth as gold and enter into His rest, taking my place in Him.
    From Satan’s perspective:
    When I fully bear the marks of Christ on my body, He will be forever restrained over me. If i surrender completely to God, those marks i will receive in the fiery furnace(s) will produce the fruits of the Spirit in me like patience, self-control, Peace. In short i would look like Christ. Satan is most powerless over those who look like Christ.
    From my standpoint:
    When i allow the Holy Spirit guide my decisions and stop foolishness..Psalm 32:8-9

Like i said at the start, I just emerged from a fiery furnace which was anything but interesting. Whilst praying and dwelling on this matter, The Lord was kind enough to show me in an open vision my report card from it in the form of a ledger. Lets just say there were far too may red marks for my liking in what i saw. When i probed slightly, The Holy Spirit let me know clearly that the majority of those red marks came from utterances i made whilst passing through the testing.

I could have emerged far worse had the Lord not arrested me at some point of it. Yet i am comforted in the knowledge that it is part of His process as told in Hebrews 12:6-7

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Are you in the midst of your own fiery furnace? perhaps a financial one?
God could be using this to try to 🔥of the bonds of ‘anxiety’ about ‘what you
shall eat and what you shall drink‘..which takes centre stage in your relationship
with Him. Perhaps your fear and anxiety has become a veil which hinders your ability
to grow further in the grace and knowledge of Him.

God employed satan’s fiery furnace to graduate Job from a place of hearing of him by the hearing of the ear, to a new level of ‘and now my eyes sees you’.

Whatever the shade of your furnace, 1st determine the source. Then get to the place of ‘Stillness’ and wait on Him…..
He may chastise you…
He may encourage you…
He may do both….

Whatever He does, He does it with perfect Love and a perfect intention toward you.
Prayerfully consider these lessons and let Him minister to you in your own area of need.

May we find the fourth man in the midst of our fire and help to get through with flying colours.

Amen.

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