Inside the Fire

<p>A wildfire in Andilla, Spain, scorched nearly 50,000 acres of woodland. When scientists entered the area they expected total devastation; and they did indeed see miles of blackened oaks, pines, and junipers. However, in the middle of the wreckage, a group of nearly 1,000 bright green cypress trees remained standing. The trees&rsquo; unusual ability to retain water had allowed them to safely endure the fire.</p> <p>In the days of King Nebuchanezzar&rsquo;s reign in Babylon, a small cluster of friends survived the flames of the king&rsquo;s wrath. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a statue Nebuchadnezzar had created, and they told him, &ldquo;If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it&rdquo; (Daniel 3:17). Infuriated, the monarch cranked up the heat seven times hotter than normal (v. 19).</p> <p>The soldiers who carried out the king&rsquo;s orders and tossed the friends into the blaze burned up and died, yet onlookers watched Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk around <em>inside</em> the flames &ldquo;unbound and unharmed.&rdquo; Someone else was in the furnace as well&mdash;a fourth man who looked &ldquo;like a son of the gods&rdquo; (v. 25). Many scholars say this was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus.&nbsp;</p> <p>Jesus is with us when we face intimidation and trials. In the moments when we are urged to give in to pressure, we don&rsquo;t have to be afraid. We may not always know how or when God will help us, but we know He&rsquo;s with us. He will give us the strength to stay faithful to Him through every &ldquo;fire&rdquo; we endure.</p>