God Is in the Fire

This summer, I am enjoying something I‘ve never had before. For years, my husband and I have discussed having an outdoor gathering space. In previous locations, it just never seemed to come to fruition. There was always something about the timing or the yard, or we just weren’t quite sure what we wanted it to look like. But now that we live on a bit of land and staying out at night to look at the stars is a common occurrence, we finally followed through.

I realize I’ve built up this visual, but there’s really not much to it. A friend had an extra strand of Edison lights, and we bought a thirty-inch fire pit. Nothing flashy. Just a bit of ambiance in the yard makes it so much more inviting to pull out our chairs, visit, and enjoy the summer nights.

The particular fire pit we picked out is round with a crosshatch design on the sides. A neat pattern plays on the ground when we have a fire going. I think I’ve spent as much time watching this as I have watched the fire or the stars above. There’s just something about the way fire makes objects and imaginings come to life. That’s probably why, on one of the first nights after we got the fire pit, my mind went to a fire-related story from the Bible—the story of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, the men who survived being tossed into an inferno.

What got these young Jewish men thrown into “the blazing furnace” was basically ancient civil disobedience. King Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon, set up a golden idol. He proclaimed that everyone was required to “fall down and worship the image of gold that [he had] set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace” (Dan. 3:5-6 NIV).

Despite the threat of death, the response of the three young men was incredible. They said:

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan. 3:16-18 NIV, emphasis added)

King Nebuchadnezzar was so upset by their refusal that he ordered the fire to be heated seven times hotter, bound the men, and threw them in. And then, an amazing (and I think incredibly comforting) miracle occurred:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Dan. 3:24-26 NIV)

Three men were thrown in but four were “walking around in the fire.” So, who was the fourth man? While scholars debate about the identity of the fourth figure in the fire, many believe it was a pre-incarnate Christ. At the very least, they suggest it was a divine figure provided as a help, witness, and support in this very difficult situation. No matter who it was, the way these men responded and how God responded have some wonderful takeaways for us:

1. No matter the severity of our circumstances or potential consequences, facing them in faith and allegiance to God is always our best choice.
2. Facing a difficult circumstance in faith does not mean feeling sure that you will be “saved” from a daunting outcome. As an example, people who face cancer in faith and die are not less righteous or holy than those who survive. As the men said, “the God we serve is able to deliver us from it . . . but even if he does not . . . we will not serve your gods.”
3. We can be sure that whether we are spared from our fiery trial or not, God is in the fire with us. He does not leave his people to suffer alone. Even in our most awful experiences, when our very lives are on the line, he is near and attends to us.

It is may seem strange that this intense example of attempted murder would have much application to our current lives, yet it does. God cares about our difficulties, whether we are being thrown into a literal fire or a figurative one. He knows the best way for any of us to handle anything is by saying, “I worship you no matter the outcome.” Ultimately, he wants us to trust that his nearness will guide us to safety either on this side of heaven or the other.

When can let go of outcomes and focus only on our allegiance, it is beautifully freeing. Whether we are saved from our “fires” or not, may we feel his closeness and be blessed as we walk together until it is over.

He is Immanuel, “God with us,” no matter what we are going through.

Anne Rulo is an author, speaker, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist and veteran coach’s wife. She and her husband Tim have two children and are passionate about reaching people for Christ and sharing information on coaching, marriage, family, and mental health. Read more from Anne at www.annerulo.com.

Photograph © Jon Tyson, used with permission