Have you read Daniel 3 about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refusing to worship the gold 90’ tall idol, despite death threats? They stood up to King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC because they were trusting God, boldly proclaiming even if He didn’t save them, they would still choose to trust Him.
It is IN the fiery furnace that what binds us is burned off and we are free to walk with God. Sometimes we are safer in the fiery furnace than we are in a palace! We do not have to be defined by that experience. Those who try to, and therefore victimize you, need to be taught that isn’t who you are. Choose to be beautified and not embittered by an experience. Seek what God is up to in the fire and seek the joy that is yours now.
When those brave ones came out of the furnace their bodies were not burned, their clothing and hair were not singed and they did not even smell like smoke. Not a whiff of the painful experience, just the joy of God coming to dwell with them, remained. They went in faithful and came out having walked with God in a more intimate and miraculous way than was ever possible without the fiery test. Unfathomable as it seems, that furnace was their greatest gift – it changed them. It is your greatest gift in disguise. He was with them in it. He is with YOU in this. Their faith was purified like gold silver. Your hope is being shaped into a precious gem of great price. (1 Cor 3:12)
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you… Do not be afraid, for I am with you; ~ Isaiah 43:1-5
Not even a whiff of smoke clung to them. There was no sign of the furnace on them. They were not defined by that experience. They experienced walking with God in the trial. He can do the same for us.
The mission of More to Grow Cognitive Development Training is to improve learning ability and function through cognitive exercises that meaningfully transfer to all educational and everyday life situations so individuals maximize their potential.
Darlene Lewis, darlene@moretogrow.com, https://moretogrow.com