FAITH THROUGH THE FURNACE

…when thou walkest THROUGH the FIRE, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee – Isaiah 43:2

Faith is not fun. Faith shines brightest through the furnace of trials and temptations. The third chapter of the book of Daniel narrates the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace. These models of faith wouldn’t budge or bow, and ultimately wouldn’t burn! This couldn’t have been a feeble and flimsy faith born out of spontaneous emotion. No, it was a faith formed and moulded in the crucible of character and toughened in the furnace of discipline. The training the young men must have received in early life served them well in the face of a fiery furnace.

Life on earth is not fair and the world is not getting fairer. Things are really beginning to heat up. Humanity is passing through seasons of wars, rumours of war and ravaging extremists. Men’s hearts are failing them for fear of imminent extra-terrestrial incursions (Lk.21:9,26). Even the planet is heating-up under the burden of climate change. Like in the days of Daniel, the spirit of Antichrist is working in our world, permeating every aspect of society. There is incredible pressure to get people to conform to the culture and spirit of Babylon. Those who refuse to fall in line are labelled as fanatical, odd or queer. Political institutions are adding the fury of legislation and enforcement to the fires of deception and persecution.

Satan – the diabolical force – is out to make converts: “And whoever does not fall down and worship” (Dan. 3:6). The devil and his soon-to-be-revealed Antichrist want to be worshipped (Rev.13:7-8). This same spirit blasphemes and expresses contempt for God: “…if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? (Dan.3:15b). FAITH was the formidable force in the hearts of the Hebrew youths. The same is the force in us that’ll withstand and overcome Satan’s end-time onslaught. The Hebrew heroes demonstrated a SETTLED, STRONG and STEADFAST, based on God’s Word hidden in their hearts (Dan.3:17). Their faith brought glory to God and invigorates our faith. Ultimately, our faith is strengthened as we walk through the fires (1Pet.1:6-7).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the pressures of Babylon. Theirs was a faith to ENDURE rather than one to ESCAPE. They encountered the Lord – the Fourth Man – in the midst of the flames and He protected them from death and destruction. Through the fire, Jesus is revealed! Believers are gradually being pushed nearer the brink of “fiery furnaces” and incendiary encounters. More than ever before our faith will be tried in the fire, and we’ll either stand for our God and His Word or bow to Babylon. God is able to deliver us. If He doesn't deliver us THROUGH the fire, He'll deliver us IN it! This is our stand: Break or burn, we choose to never bow to Babylon’s culture, idols or images!