SURVIVING THE TRIALS OF LIFE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste
and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men
bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the
king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form
of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
(Daniel 3:24-25)

MEDITATION:
Whenever we are going through a trial in our life that seems
insurmountable, and creates a tendency in us to ‘give up’ on
any hope of surviving the ordeal, we need to spend time reading
how others survived seemingly impossible odds, because the Lord
was with them.

The Bible is full of short stories within the complete story about
God and His Son, Jesus. When you read one of these “mini-stories”,
do you just enjoy reading it or do you take time to think about how
the message of the story is for you personally?

When you read the story about Daniel’s friends you may be amazed
at how they survived when thrown into a fiery furnace. It IS amazing
that they were not burned up (and were walking around in the fire),
but there is another part of the story that is even more astounding.

When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the flames, he didn’t see only
the three men who were put in the furnace, but he saw a fourth person
walking around with them. They were not alone! The fourth person in
the fire was the Son of God.

These three men were facing a fiery trial that was as bad as it could be.
However, Jesus not only protected them, but He was there with them.

If you meditate on this event, it reminds us that when the trials of
life are extreme, Jesus not only wants to help us through them, but
He wants us to feel His presence. We could assume that He even held
their hands at times to comfort them and assure them of His presence.
The presence of Jesus made the difference, and they survived their trial.

ACTION:
If you are going through a fiery trial, seek Jesus’ presence
for comfort and peace. He will hold your hand, walk with
you, and help you survive the trial. When the trial is over,
you will be stronger and freer than before the trial began.
You will also have a stronger faith that will sustain you in
the future.

When you walk with God, you’ll never walk alone. He does exist
and He is real. And, when we discover how He has helped us endure
what we thought we could not, we will develop a closer relationship
with the Lord. It might not feel like it when we are in the midst of
our trial, but when we look back we will know that we survived it
because the Lord was with us!

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for being with me in
my darkest hours. You remind me in Your Word
how You were with others during their time of trials.
Since You are not a God who shows favoritism, I can
be assured that You will be with those who belong to
You today, in the same way You were with those long
ago. Father, I pray that You will give me the comfort
and peace that You provided for Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego when they were cast into the fire. Help
me to find peace in knowing that You will be with me
during the fiery trials I have in my own life. I praise
You for your presence and Your promises!”

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