Nebuchadnezzar said to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, “ If you won’t worship, [my statue], you will be immediately thrown into a blazing hot furnace–and what god will save you from my power then?” (Daniel 3:15) They answered, “If our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power.” (Daniel 3:17) The fire was turned so hot that the men who carried the condemned, were burned up themselves. 

Have you ever felt like you were tied up and thrown into a fiery furnace? Most of us will feel like that at least once. The flames are more powerful than you, sending the smell of burning hair into your nostrils as you feel the heat. They seem to laugh in your face that you’ll never get out of this one, not this time. You feel helpless, done for, about to be a pile of ash. But God…He’s your ever-present help in danger. You can lie on the bottom of the furnace floor and wait for the end or you can lift your hope to Jesus.

But the king looking into the fire, sprang to his feet: “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the flames?” They answered, “Yes, of course, your majesty.” But, looking into the fire he said, “I see four men, not tied up, walking around there in the flames, unhurt; and the fourth looks like one of the gods!” (Daniel 3:24-25)

“The viceroys, prefects, governors and royal advisers who were there saw that the fire had no power on the bodies of these men–not even the hair on their head was singed, their clothes looked the same, and they didn’t smell of fire.” (Daniel 3:27) It’s not a chore for Jesus to come to your rescue. He doesn’t condemn you for not being able to stand on your own. On the contrary. He wants you to stop trying to handle it on your own, to turn your thoughts and heart to Him and He will gladly join you in the fire, untie you, and command the flames to not harm you. Stand firm on God’s truth today and there in the midst of the flames you will stand protected with the Lover of your soul.