Joy in the Furnace

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

It has been well over twenty years since I ran my first marathon. It has been several years since I entered a race for the purpose of running a long distance. Now, I am in the walking stage of my life. But after all these years, I can still hear many of my running friends’ voices in my mind reminding me that while crossing the finish line is a glorious feeling, it is the training that gets you across. 

Our lives are much like those memories of training. Now, my struggling and training are not for ribbons, medals, or a tee-shirts with the words “Finisher” in big letters. Now I grapple to find joy in everyday challenges. My trials include things like eating on a restricted diet while watching family and friends devour sugar in every bite, hopping up from the floor with grace (no, I can’t do this anymore!), and helping others whose needs are much greater than my own while putting off my desire to fill my time doing something else. 

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace for not worshipping or acknowledging an idol, those who watched the men being tossed inside the fire expected screams and charred bodies. If the onlookers were expecting a show, they surely got one. Instead of seeing three seared bodies and hearing the cries of death, they witnessed a miracle. There were not three people in the fire, there were four. God was with them in the fire. God saw them through the worst.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3: 24-25

Why did this happen? Why did God choose to stay in the fire with them? While I cannot pretend to understand God’s thinking, I do know that the three thrown into the fire chose not to leave God. They said no matter what, they would not renounce God, and they knew that God was greater than any king. They stayed with God and He was with them.

What about us during our worst days? We too must not leave our faith and belief in God. During our trials, we speak to Him and He hears our pleas. God is beside us, protecting us, and helping us onward in our lives.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

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