Patient in Affliction 4

Daniel 3:16-25

Jesus warned the disciples, and us, that in this life we will face troubles. There is no avoiding all the problems that can come our way. What is important, however, is that we are prepared to face the perils and sorrows of life.

Today’s passage is from the story of three companions to Daniel – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar has commanded that at a musical signal everyone is to fall down and worship his image, but these three men hold firm to their Jewish heritage and refuse to worship the king (Daniel 3:1-15).

What confidence do the three men have? What was their punishment? How do we know the furnace is truly hot? What does the king witness?

There was no getting out of the punishment that the king had ordered for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But they were ready to face their punishment because they trusted in God’s power. If you continue with the story you will see that nothing happens to these three men. Not only are they not burned, their clothes do not burn and they even have no odor of smoke or fire about them (see Daniel 3:26-27).

In this story we can see that it is not the troubles we face that is important but how we face the troubles. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were slaves in a foreign land and had fallen out of favor with the king. Their situation seemed hopeless, but they did not waiver in their faith.

Instead they were patient in their affliction, calmly enduring all the punishment and anger the king could dish out. The result was a very concrete example of how God is with the faithful even in times of trouble.

We may not be as fortunate as these three. Yes, they were fortunate, because God showed them quite clearly that He was with them in their troubles. There could be no doubt that no matter what they were going through they were not alone.

As we face the uncertainty and troubles of our current situation, or any situation, we must hold firm to our faith in God. We may not be blessed enough to see a tangible figure standing beside us, but we should know in our hearts that we are not alone. God is with us to give us protection and strength. He can see us through the bleakest of times.

And with that faith we should be given the ability to be patient in our afflictions. In time we will be carried through the fires of our trials and challenges, brought unscathed to the other side. And through it all we are not alone.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remind yourself of God’s presence in desperate times?