Do you feel, like right now, you are in the fire? You were thrown in, because who, in their right mind, would jump in on their own? Maybe your finances are being consumed, your influence, the things you once counted on to define you, or sustain you, gone! Burnt up! You didn’t ask for this, but have been forced into it, and what scares you the most, is you don’t see your way out.
Some are being forced to be quiet during these isolated times. They are struggling, because they don’t know how to live without “noise”, people, parties, activities around them all the time. You see, there are some who don’t want to face what their life really is. It’s not what they wanted, but they haven’t found yet what they “really” need. They haven’t identified true happiness comes from having a relationship with God. Talking to him, hanging out with him.
Here is a beautiful story of three young men, who in the midst of crazy life kept their focus on God. (If you can’t pronounce their names it’s okay. Just substitute in some other name. I do this.)
Daniel 3:26-29 The Message (MSG)
26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
27 All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes,
not even the smell of fire on them!
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.
29 “Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.”
There are people who dismiss others, who claimed to know God when life was good, but these days they can’t look away. They are watching you in the furnace, to see if you will be consumed by the fire of today’s times, if your God will rescue you, or will it be revealed you, are no different than them.
Know God sees you, loves you, and cares so much for you and for those you love. Another part of the story, above, is this: they threw in the three young men, but those looking into the fire saw four men walking around. You may not see God in this moment with you, but He is. You can be confident of it. And perhaps on the other side of these days things aren’t exactly what you would have chosen, if you were in control of the pen writing the story of your life, but because you never took your eyes off of God, you’ll know, it will be okay.
Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
brady, mark a. 
Beautiful. This one hits home for me, Mark. In February 2015, when we still lived in Monterey, CA, during our fellowship meeting on Saturday evening, my wife was led to read the first few verses of Isaiah 43, which include the passage about not being burned when you walk through the fire because God is with you. On the following Monday morning our house burned down. We escaped in our pajamas with our dog. Everything else was gone. That event is one of the most significant milestones in our lives. You can read a bit more about it here: https://postponderance.blogspot.com/2015/02/consuming-fire.html
The people who lost their homes in Quezon City recently have been on my mind. I am praying for protection, provision, faith, and peace for them.
Shalom.
I’m assuming you are talking about the Quezon City in the Philippines. I join you in praying for them, as my wife is from the Philippines about 30 miles north of there. Thanks for reading. Bless you.