What if the worst thing happens

It seems like the list of bad things that can happen just keeps on growing, doesn't it? Every day in the news we hear of some new thing happening to hurt or destroy lives. Recently I was reminded of one of the most powerful stories In the Bible which reminds us that God is in control – the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found in the book of Daniel.

The king of Babylon builds a huge statue and commands everyone in the kingdom to bow down and worship it as a god. The king also has a huge furnace built and the people are told if they don't obey the king, they will be burned alive. Well, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believe in the true God and refuse to worship this manmade statue.

Then the king gives these guys one last chance to change their minds and worship the idol. They make one of the greatest speeches recorded in the Bible – Daniel 3:17 - “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

The king does command them to be thrown into the furnace and the king builds a big fire in the furnace and piles in so much wood that the guys doing his dirty work die from the heat. God, however, delivers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are seen walking around in the fire like it's a nice day at the beach and the king notices that there is someone else with them. He says, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Well, that convinces the king that these guys have a better understanding than he does. He brings them out and makes them rulers in the land.

Now we don't have any promise that we will be delivered from the “fiery furnace” of trouble and problems in our lives. But what we do have is the same knowledge that these three men had - our God has the ability to deliver us. But even if He chooses not to for some reason unknown to us, He is still the God of the universe. I love the promise God made in Isaiah 41:10, “Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.”

We may not escape the furnace, but we can know for certain that we will never be in there all alone – our God is always with us!