Scriptural Foundation:
Daniel 3:17-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
1 Peter 1:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Reflection:
In certain seasons of my life I have felt totally consumed by fire. I was constantly second guessing myself. Did I say something or do something out of the will of God? I was doing everything to the best of my ability, asking the Holy Spirit daily what did I do to deserve this? When the fire burns the hottest I have learned over time to hide in the secret place of the Most High. What you need to understand is that consistently following Jesus will cause us to go through some things. However the key word is to go through things. Think about the process of turning clay into a beautiful teapot. It requires that the potter mode the clay into a vessel and then place it in a kiln to keep that shape. Then paint is applied and back goes the vessel into the kiln. The Lord is the potter and we are the clay. The process may not be the most ideal, but in the end, if we don’t lose heart, we become a beautiful vessel for the Kingdom of God.
I can hear some of you now….she doesn’t know what I am going through. You’re absolutely right I don’t know what you are going through, but I know who does, the Lord. And if the Lord is for you who can be against you? So remember when you feel like you are melting under the pressure of the current moment, the Lord is using that situation for you to be strong and more radiant in His presence. In times like those, we all need to cling to the only thing that can save us, the Word of God.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Recall all your past furnace experiences
- Describe for each, what was the end product after that trial
- List everything you are facing today.
- Print out Daniel 3:17-18 and put it on your bathroom mirror, confess this scripture over yourself daily until the Lord manifests in that situation.