The FourthMan
Three young men refused to bow, and the furnace was heated seven times hotter. Then the king saw a fourth man in the fire.
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Sometimes obeying God makes things hotter.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did the right thing, and it cost them. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. Faithfulness does not always remove the fire.
Able to deliver, even if He does not
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.Daniel 3:17–18 · NIV
Their answer holds two truths together. God is able to save them, and their obedience does not depend on whether He does. That is faith with nothing left to bargain with.
Three went in. Four were seen
The king expected the flames to finish them. Instead he saw four men walking in the fire, unbound and unharmed.
Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?Daniel 3:24 · NIV
Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.Daniel 3:25 · NIV
They went in bound. In the fire they walked unbound, and they were not alone.
Faith that says “even if”
Mature faith still asks God to deliver. It simply refuses to make obedience depend on the outcome.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.Isaiah 43:2 · NIV
A prayer in the fire
Lord, You are able to deliver me, and even if You don’t do it my way, I will not bow. Walk with me in this fire. Burn away what binds me, and let others see that You are with me. Amen.
Pray it in the heatStanding in your fire
- Name your furnaceWhat pressure is pushing you to bow right now? Tell God plainly.
- Settle your “even if”Decide now what you will not compromise, whatever happens.
- Look for the fourth manAsk God to open your eyes to where He is with you in it.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.Isaiah 43:2 · NIV
What would your “even if” sound like?
Name the pressure pushing you to bow, then write the sentence that starts with “Even if…”
Go deeper in the Word
Send the slides to someone in the fire, then keep studying.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.