Refuge for a Single Mom

Daniel’s Friends Protected   [Daniel 3:19-30]

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.
21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22 For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

Often, (very often, in fact) I fall back on God’s promise to get us ‘through’ adversity … That really sparked my interest of the word ‘through’ and I started thinking about how very deep it really is!

We must go ‘through’ hardship, ‘through’ difficulty, ‘through’ danger, ‘through’ trials, not over, around or under, but THROUGH!

From there, I got to thinking about how we could overcome adversity ‘through’ Him and pass ‘through’ it OR we could let the adversity go ‘through’ us and potentially destroy us!  Provocative?  Yeah, I thought so too!  *wink*

Through

The bible often talks about how we can get ‘through’ trials and tribulations by going ‘through’ the Lord.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.  Hebrews 11:29

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  Romans 11:36

Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.  Psalm 60:12

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.  Isaiah 43:2

He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint.  Deuteronomy 8:15

Serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews.  Acts 20:19

Simply put, when we share a deep and profound relationship with God, we are better able to trust in Him.  We can filter our problems, grievances, sadness, confusion, etc. ‘through’ Him and come ‘through’ our circumstances with something much more manageable.

Every bad thing in your life can produce something good if you’ve learned and grown from it.  Just as gold must pass ‘through’ the fiery kiln to become beautiful, we must pass ‘through’ the trials and tribulations of this world to fulfill the amazing plans that God has for us!

But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  Job 23:10

So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  I Peter 1:7

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”  Zechariah 13:9

Labels: Adversity, Perseverance, Strength, Tests, Trials, Tribulation, Victory