Another In The Fire
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:23-25 NKJV.
God’s timing is amazing! I’d planned three months ago to do this BriefWord this month. Little did I know it would be tested and proven in my own life. More on that soon.
There’s a song we sing in church, called Another In The Fire, by Hillsong Music. Here’s a link to the full version;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNc0L7Ac5c
The chorus is; (note the past — historic tense).
There was another in the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I’ve been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
And then Chorus 3 is; (note the future — prophetic tense).
There’ll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There’ll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You’ve been to me
I’ll count the joy come every battle
‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be
God is amazing; He can speak to anyone, about anything, at any time, from anywhere.
This song has been a great encouragement to me in recent weeks. I’ve had some chest pains. Three trips into hospital. Lots of blood tests, ECG’s, chest x-rays, and all the usual observations. They gave me morphine, they did another angiogram, they inserted another two stents into my heart, and they repaired one already there. A few days later I was still uncomfortable, and the diagnosis was inflammation, from the invasion of the angiogram and stents going in. After more than a week, I am doing well, and free of pain. Praise The Lord!
During my stays in hospital, I thought of the above song, Another In The Fire. The truth of those words sounded in my spirit. It was disappointing and discouraging to be back in hospital, but, the words of that song reminded me He was with me.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced a tough choice. But they chose not to worship the golden image King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego would not bow to any other god but the Lord. (Their friend Daniel was possibly away in another region on the king’s business). They were cast, bound, fully clothed into a burning fiery furnace. Yet, King Nebuchadnezzar sees them, unbound, walking in the midst of the fire with another Man. He rightly identifies Him as the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
The king calls the three friends to come out of the furnace, and they do so, and to the king’s amazement they are not burned, singed or even smell of smoke! Then, he acknowledges God and says, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Daniel 3:28 NKJV.
These three friends went into the fire bound but came out unbound! Something happened in the fire and in the presence of Jesus that loosed their bondages. It’s hard to think that trials can have that effect, but they sure can have the opposite effect. We can come out of tough times with attitudes and mindsets that do nothing for us but bind us up.
Something happens when we are in the presence of Jesus, in spite of what is going on around us physically.
These three friends went into the fire fully clothed in their usual clothing. Usually the condemned are led to their execution in execution clothes. God knew what He would do, and had them dressed and ready for their presentation from the fire.
These three friends went into the fire facing certain death unless God intervened. He did! And they came out of the fire with no singes or even the smell of smoke on them. No vestiges of the trial they’d been through, no baggage, no thoughts of resentment or bitterness.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2 NKJV.
These three friends trusted in God’s will, and His ability to deliver them; if He did, He did, if He didn’t, they still trusted in God and would not bow to any other god.
But in the fire, Jesus was with them! He is more than enough!
Just this morning I read this; You are my portion O Lord … Psalm 119:57 NKJV. Sometimes when I’m reading God’s Word I get stuck on a phrase or a few words. What truth there is here!
A portion, is usually thought of as small, limited, and measurable. But God, the Lord, is my portion. He is more than enough. The measure of the Divine we have is more than able to fill the human. He is El-Shaddai. And yet in Him, when we have Him in our lives, we have more than can be measured or contained. When He is in our life, the portion, becomes Divine. It becomes other-than-human. In His grace we — human and flawed as we are — receive a portion of His being; God, the Lord!
My portion. The Lord is enough. He is all we need. He is sufficient. He is the One our soul craves for, longs for, and worships. In Him our soul finds its true north, its true purpose.
The Lord is my portion. Individually, just for me, that which I need. For any situation. Even hospitals! And invasive medical procedures. And life’s trials.
Chorus 2 of our song says this; (note the present tense).
There is another in the fire
Standing next to me
There is another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
What power set me free
There is a grave that holds no body
And now that power lives in me
Hallelujah! His power lives in us. God, the Lord of all, Almighty God, Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Coming King, is in you and is with you!
