Sæktu forritiðFaith Tested by FireSýnishorn
Miraculous Deliverance
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods’” (Daniel 3:24–25).
Could this be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ? We see this in other places in the Old Testament, with Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3), as well as with Joshua and his army (Joshua 5). We don’t know for sure, but most people believe that Jesus is whom we have here in Daniel 3. This miraculous deliverance involves God going through this test with His servants. Where is the Lord when they’re in the midst of the fire? He’s there with them. The Lord manifested His presence to His servants and also to the king. It was a divine deliverance.
When the Lord delivers someone, He does it in such a way that there’s no doubt about who did it. He made it clear to the king, “You can’t touch them.” It was a complete deliverance. It’s good to know that this is the same God who protects us today. Even when we go through hard times, He’s in control. Where is the Lord amid your tests? He is there with you.
God’s ultimate goal, in all things, is to glorify His name. God, through His servants who were in a foreign land, completely outnumbered and having no power whatsoever in and of themselves, put His power on display to demonstrate His glorious name. It was a God-glorifying deliverance.
King Nebuchadnezzar is amazed at God and His servants’ devotion. “What kind of God is this, that men would be willing to trust Him, even when it meant defying a king with the power to take their life? What a God this must be, to have servants like that!”
Does your devotion amaze anyone? Is an unbelieving world that watches your life ever amazed at your devotion? Whether we know it or not, we tell the world how valuable our God and His Word are by the worth we assign to them through how we live.
Father, I love You and delight, Lord, in trusting You. I must confess that there are times that I’ve been afraid. Forgive and strengthen me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This devotional was based on a sermon by Richard Caldwell. To listen to this sermon and an episode of the Straight Truth Podcast related to this message, visit Straight Truth (https://straighttruth.net/how-we-work-with-god-to-increase-our-faith/).
About this Plan
Whether we know it or not, we tell the world how valuable our God and His Word are by the worth we assign to them through how we live. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s obedience to God’s Word became a test of King Nebuchadnezzar’s authority, and thus it became a test of their faith. Ultimately, their faithfulness resulted in their blessing.
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