Trusting God's Plan in the Fire: Lessons From the Book of DanielSample

Ever play the game “Trust”? You typically stand on a chair, with your back turned away from your friends who are lined up two-by-two with arms stretched out. Without looking, you shout out, “One, two, three!” and then fall backward, hoping they will catch you. You’re putting your complete trust in them that they won’t drop you. It’s scary because it involves placing your faith in someone else for your well-being.

Chances are, you may be going through some personal trial right now- a trial by fire. It could be a devastating cancer diagnosis, a spouse threatening to leave you, an addiction relapse that seems unbeatable, or a mandate that might cost your job. Whatever storm that’s wreaking havoc in your life, you are not alone. It’s our hope that this study will encourage you to know that God is with you in the fire and to trust His plan to see you through it.

Our study focuses on four young Jewish men, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Daniel: however, you may know three of them better by their Babylonian-given names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

You’ll learn some fire-proof truths from these amazing heroes of faith:

• Seek God first when calamity strikes
• Obey God and not the crowd
• Refuse to compromise on God’s principles
• Pray with godly people in tough times
• Trust God when you can’t see the outcome

Tomorrow, we’ll start digging deep, but if you haven't done it yet, click on the Youtube link at the top of this devotional page for our short podcast called "A Little Extra"! You'll hear HealingStrong volunteers discuss the cool things they've discovered in the same Bible passage you're reading that day. It's like having friends studying the day's lesson with you! So check it out!

Questions:

1. What personal trial are you going through right now, or what personal trials have you gone through in the past?

2. What does trusting God look like for you?

3. Do you have a hard time trusting God? Why or why not?