"GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE FIRE"

"But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied. "Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke!" (Daniel 3:24-27 NLT)

"Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon." (Daniel 3:30 NLT)

I was lead to this passage in Daniel earlier this week.  A few years ago I preached a message around this passage and was reminded of that.  We all have times in our lives when we have a "fiery furnace" experience.  If you read earlier in Chapter 3 you find that Nebuchadnezzar was so furious that he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.  That number 7 caught my attention.  The Bible is full of symbolism, the number 7 is a number of completeness, divine perfection or something that is finished.  Nebuchadnezzar thought for sure that would kill them but really all it was doing was completing, perfecting, and bringing something to a finish.  The key in all of this is that God was with them in the fire.

Sometimes we go through things in life and it feels like we are in the middle of a fire.  It feels like the devil has turned up the fire seven times hotter.  The fact is, he probably has, because the last thing he wants is for you to do what you're called to do.  What he doesn't realize is that when you come out of the fire, something will be completed, something will be perfected, and something will be finished!  The key to you making it through the fire is the same key as in Chapter 3, keep God with you in the fire.  You don't go through anything that God isn't there walking with you through it.  He patiently walks beside you. 

What I like best about chapter 3 verse 27: "Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched.  They didn't even smell of smoke!"  When God is with you in your fire and you come out, you won't have a hair on your head that's singed, your clothing won't be scorched and you won't even smell of smoke!  Some of you need to hear this, God is a God of restoration.  He's a God that makes things better after the fire and because of the fire.  Be encouraged because when you get through what you're going through you're going to be better than who you were and there will be no residue of fire. 

Verse 30 says: "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon."  After the fire came promotion.  After you come out of your fire, after the restoration process is complete, promotion will come.  God is with you in the fire, you're going to come out of it, it's going to be better than it was before, and you're going to be promoted to an even higher position. 

Be encouraged this week, don't let the devil's schemes get you down.  Go ahead devil, turn it up seven times hotter, I'm coming out with God by my side and there won't even be a sign that I've been through a fire!