“He answered, Behold, 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 the gods!” Dan 3:25 (Amplified)
Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king could not believe his eyes, but he knew that he could not argue with the reality that was then confronting him. The three men he had commanded to be thrown into the fiery furnace as punishment for defying his orders had suddenly become fire-resistant. They inexplicably refused to burn. Furthermore, he clearly saw a mysterious fourth man who was so awe-inspiring he concluded that he could only be the son of the gods. How this particular character got there, they would never know. The whole spectacle was simply beyond belief; well, his belief.
God was again making good on His promise. He had declared in Isa 43:2 that “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.” By coming to the aid to the three Jews who chose to trust in Him in the time of trouble, God was making a statement that nothing ever catches Him by surprise and that whatever life may throw at you, He already has the solution in place if you will seek His help. He never said that you will not go through difficulties, but that He would go through difficult times with you. In fact, He would be closer to you than Lycra is close to the skin. However, that is not the end of His benefit to our lives. In allowing us to go through tough times, God intended for us to be toughened by the situation and thus become better persons, but that is only the beginning, for in delivering us from hardship, He will also be proving His power to us and His greatness in our lives. The icing on the cake is that God often allows us to face and overcome hardship because He wants to bless us. So, in a nutshell, God wants you to prosper by profiting from your hardship. It is His way of rewarding you for the inconvenience you have suffered and proof that He really cares for His own.
So, if life has turned sour for you or you are struggling to understand why God could not have averted your present hardship, be encouraged to know that God is our ever present help in time of need. The fiery trials that you are going through now are none other than the refining fire necessary to burn off the impurities in your life so that you can become what God always intended you to be. He will not allow you to be tested to destruction, but will only push you up to the point He knew you are able to take. So, how should you respond to present difficulties? Like Habakkuk did. Choose to praise God anyhow. In Hab 3:17-19, when everything that could go wrong had already done so for this man of God, he still chose to praise God in expectation of deliverance. He focused his eyes on the greatness of God instead of his troubles in anticipation of His deliverance. You too can do the same today and God will prove Himself strong on your behalf as He usually does for His own.
Prayer:
Lord, the Psalmist wrote that you took his feet from miry clay (quicksand) and caused him to stand on solid rock. Psa 40:2. I need you to turn my financial, relationship etc. quicksand of despair into a solid rock of hope. Cause me to profit spiritually from my present difficulties and to physically prosper just as you intended. Cause a seven-fold increase for my trouble/loss so that others will see and glorify your name. Amen.