The Fire

‘Look! Nebuchadnezzar shouted. I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!’ Daniel 3:25

Fire is not without purpose especially in the Christian walk. The function of the fire varies, according to God’s purpose. It could be for refining purposes. Refining could translate to a number of things and not limited to cleansing, purifying, humbling, detoxing, and teaching. God could allow the fire in your life to accomplish any of these purposes. God reserves the right to prune the branch and His pruning tools are solely His choice. Say you have this habit of buying what you don’t even need. God could allow the fire of lack of finances come into your life to humble and teach you. Firstly that God is your source and secondly that having the resource does not amount to being careless. This is not time for you to get angry at God for allowing you go through the fire of the loss of a miracle. Perhaps God intends to use it to teach you that talking about a breakthrough before it takes root can lead to a leak and a loss. The fire in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and for many of us today is meant to reveal the fourth person in the fiery furnace. God has allowed the fire so that you can witness firsthand the Son of the Living God. The fire is supposed to take you to a fresh revelation of God. Deeper than that, the fire is to make Jesus known not only to you but to everyone watching. ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!’ Dan.3: 28a. It is no longer about you rather about God and His purposes. By the time they came out of the fire, they came out without as much as a burn mark or the smell of smoke. When you experience the fire, the testimony of life change does not come from you alone. In fact chances are that the people who helped fire up the furnace will start testifying on your behalf as it happened with Nebuchadnezzar. Know this; with God, at the end of the fire comes promotion [Dan.3:30]. Hang in there, God is not done with us yet.

Prayer: Lord, I yield to Your divine discipline; for You chastise those You love and accept as Yours. Help me to endure through the fire so Christ will be fully formed in me, in Jesus Name.