Through the Fire

Isaiah 43:2b, ESV

…when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Daniel 3:17-18, 23-25, ESV

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

…

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told King Nebuchadnezzar that their God would deliver them, I wonder if they imagined it would be before they were thrown into the flames. I wonder if, as they were being thrown into that fire, they thought, “okay, I guess God isn’t going to deliver us from this one.”

But God was going to deliver them—not from the fire, but through the fire. 

So often throughout scripture, we see its authors symbolize trials and hardships of the people of God by using words which depict the imagery of fire—and of metals being refined by fire. Refinement involves precious metals being put through fire in order to bring out their impurities—because precious metals are not used for high quality purposes unless they’re purified. For example, when God instructed His people to create the objects of worship for the building of the tabernacle, He almost always instructed them to use “pure” gold.

And here’s the thing: a metal does not become pure by getting near the fire (and being removed from it before going through it), a metal only becomes pure by going through the fire.

And so do we. 

We can gain awesome testimonies when we get near something that God rescues us from, but we only become refined by walking through something. 

Our refinement doesn’t happen by us getting near the fire and being delivered from it, it happens when we lean into the presence of God as we go through it.

Fire purifies—and a purified person is a usable person.

Furthermore, in this passage about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel (the author) makes a point to repeatedly mention (four times!) that they were “bound” when they were thrown into the fire. He then makes sure to reveal that they were “unbound” when they were in the midst of it. And, he specifically mentions when they were removed from the fire that nothing else upon them—not even their hair or their clothing—was singed or even smelled like smoke.

The only thing the fire was allowed to touch was that which bound them.

There are some things which have us bound that will only be broken and burned up by going through the fire.

So, if you’re going through something you know God could have delivered you from, then lean in. God is there. He is present, and He is working—on your behalf, on behalf of those walking through the fire with you, on behalf of those watching from the outside, and on behalf of those who will hear your story in the future.

What we walk through, God will work through. 

Always.