And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:23-25, N.K.J.V.)

The May 8th devotion of the classic devotional book Streams in the Desert features an insightful word from George Matheson. In his remarks about our text passage, he points out that in Christ even the fires of life can cause us to experience freedom. Matheson writes:

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, the fire did not stop them from moving, for they were seen “walking around.” Actually, the fire was one of the streets they traveled to their destination. The comfort we have from Christ’s revealed truth is not that it teaches us freedom from sorrow but that it teaches us freedom through sorrow.

I love the idea of Christ’s people being able to walk (i.e., “make progress”) even when we are in the midst of the fire. This plan of attack is so much more productive than the one wherein you look around at the flames and say, “I’m in the midst of a fire, and so all I can do is come to an all-stop, hunker down, and just try to endure this difficult season.” No, you can do a lot more than that. Even as you are feeling the intense heat, you can obediently allow God to lead you step by step along the paths He wants you to cover while you are experiencing the flames.

What am I saying? I’m saying that you waiting on God to either put out your fire or rescue you from it shouldn’t equate to passivity on your part. Much to the contrary, the fire gives you a prime opportunity to manifest your inner faith by way of your outer works. These outer works should include you praying multiple times each day about your circumstance, continually seeking God’s wisdom and guidance about the circumstance, and promptly carrying out whatever assignments God gives you while you’re in it. By doing these things, you’ll be able to walk (make progress) in the midst of your fire.

It has often been noted that the only things that got burned when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego went into the fire were the ropes that had them bound. That burning of the ropes was the reason Nebuchadnezzar could say that he saw the men loose. Marvelously, God used that fire in a very specific way. Even as the smell of smoke could not be found upon the men’s clothes afterward, the fire targeted for destruction the ropes by which the men were restrained. Therefore, we can correctly say that being in the midst of the fire created a level of freedom in those men they did not have in the moments before they were forcibly thrown into the fire.

You see, God can do important, helpful, life-changing work on you while you are in one of life’s fires. As a matter of fact, sometimes the work He wants done cannot be done in any place but a fire! Whether the fire be one you build by way of your own disobedience, one someone else builds for your unjust punishment, or one that ignites simply from the sparks of life, God can use the fire to your betterment if you will allow Him to loose you and lead you in the flames. Just as Jesus (the Son of God) was the fourth man in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, He can be the second man in the fire with you if you will look to Him.

So, Christian, are you in the midst of some type of fire right now? If you are, please know that when the Bible says all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose, that word all includes times of fire. Even as you find yourself engulfed by flames, loosing can take place, walking can be done, and godly progress can be made. But none of it happens if you just sit there paralyzed by fear, anxiety, regret, anger, bitterness, or self-pity. That’s why the Lord wants you up and walking — walking with Him to be precise — anytime the fire is raging all around you. Rather than waste our fiery times, He wants to use them to do work in us and through us that can only get done in the heat.

Just as God spoke to Moses from the fire of the burning bush (Exodus chapters 3 and 4), He can speak to you from your fire. Just as He led the Israelites by means of a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22), He can lead you by means of your fire when you are in the darkness. Just as He descended upon Mount Sinai with fire to meet with Moses, He can meet with you in the midst of your fire. Just as silver is purified by the heat of the refining pot and gold is purified by the heat of the furnace, He can purify your heart through the heat of your flames. Just as the quality of your faith is tested by fire (1 Peter 1:7), He can help your faith be found genuine. Just as John saw the eyes of the glorified Jesus as being like a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14), Christ’s penetrating eyes can see everything about you and your fiery furnace.

The point in all this is not hard to understand. You, Christian, can actually be strengthened by the fires of life rather than weakened by them if you handle them correctly. Don’t fall apart. Don’t fly mad. Don’t get bitter. Don’t start doubting God’s love for you or even questioning His existence. Instead, let Him come to you in the midst of your fire and begin the process of Him instructing you, purifying you, refining you, and guiding you. To use the imagery from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, let Him loose you. This will enable you to walk with Him in the middle of the flames. And this world being what it is, that is a skill that is constantly in demand in the life of any Christian.