The situation appears hopeless. Darkness closes in, and the way out seems hidden. Shoulders feel the weight, and the intensity of emotion crushes the chest. Do these feelings sound familiar? I have experienced this hopelessness several times in my life amid agonizing circumstances, one period of despair lasting many years. It is during these times that I can’t imagine the idea of life without Jesus because He is my encourager. When we say, “Yes” to Jesus, He brings us encouragement.
A Dark Time
It was a dark time in my life. A certain situation had brought much discouragement and weariness to my soul. I had been pouring my aching heart out to the Lord for years, asking for Him to release me from the problem. His answer to my prayer was always, “No.” He let me know this in many different ways: a song on the radio, a sermon on a Sunday morning, encouraging words from a friend, or reading scripture. It would have been difficult to continually receive a “No” from Him for such a long time, but He was always faithful to give me what I needed in order to put one foot in front of the other and continue on.
An Extraordinary Commitment
During this low and discouraging time, about 4 years into a “No” from God, I came across Daniel 3 in my ladies’ Bible study, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. They were followers of God, who were exalted to high ranking positions in the King’s service. When the king proclaimed that all should bow down and worship the statue, these men remained obedient to worship and serve God only (their “yes” to God). This infuriated the king, and he threatened to throw them into the “furnace of blazing fire” (vs. 15). I love their response to him in verse 16-18:
“Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
In the next part of the story, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ordered to be bound and thrown into the raging flames.
What Commitment May Look Like
What faith these men exhibited! They were choosing to say, “yes” to God’s Way no matter the cost. Even if it meant death. Wow! That is commitment! Sometimes what commitment looks like is not a “yes” in the face of death, but in the face of choosing obedience to God. Obedience even when it feels like there is no end to the heartache, and future steps might seem too difficult to bear. That was what I was feeling when I walked into Bible study that night. I didn’t know if I could be the girl that whole-heartedly commits, no matter what. I was ready to give up.
But Then
But then, I read Daniel 3:24-25.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, ‘Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?’ ‘Yes, of course, Your Majesty,’ they replied to the king. He exclaimed, ‘Look! I was able to see not three, but four men unbound and walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like the son of the gods.”
Nebuchadnezzar called for the men to come out of the furnace, and they came out of the flames. Many important men, including the king, witnessed the fact that the fire had no effect on them at all. Verse 27 tells us, “not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them” (emphasis mine). WOAH! There was absolutely no indication that they had just been inside a flaming furnace! That is incredible to imagine.
That is not the end to this amazing story. When King Nebuchadnezzar saw these three men of God after they came out of the flames, he began to praise and worship the one true God! He even changed his decree. If anyone were to say anything against God, they would be cut to pieces and their houses burned. Talk about a change of heart!
Putting the Pieces Together
That night, in the midst of my despair, my mind was making connections and my heart leapt in hope as God put the pieces together for me. Here was His encouragement to me, and I hope, His encouragement for you if you find yourself in the valley right now:
- When we are in the midst of a fiery trial in life, Jesus is the one walking around in the fire with us. He does not leave us to suffer and experience the pain of the trial on our own (Psalm 46:1).
- He gives us the ability to walk victoriously in the midst of our trial. When we might be tempted to lay down and give up, we can remember the promise in Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
- God’s promise to us is, on the other side of this very difficult, fiery trial, we will not only NOT be harmed, but would also NOT EVEN SMELL LIKE SMOKE! Let that soak in for a moment.
- And finally, God will allow the fiery trial to work in the hearts of those around us. He may use us to bless them, our situation to teach them, or our faith to encourage them.
An Encouraged Heart
I walked into the Bible study that evening one defeated, discouraged woman and left with so much hope in my heart that I felt I could conquer any feelings of defeat and press on in obedience.
I’m now on the other side of that trial, and God has kept every promise He showed me that evening. Jesus never left my side. He gave me the strength to live and walk through the trial victoriously. When I got through it, I can honestly say, after some time of healing and restoration, I don’t have any effects of the fire and “there is no smell of fire on” me (vs. 27). God loves you and cares for you. He is faithful, and He keeps His promises.
What fiery trial do you find yourself in today? Say “yes” to Him and His promises and then trust that He has you in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:15-16). He will walk with you through the fire, encourage you along the way, and on the other side, there will be no evidence that you went through the flames. Now, sister, that is sweet encouragement! Praise Him!
