Devotional by Daniel Gonzalez:

There are moments in life where our faith and trust are tested, even times when the trust is broken. In my life, I’ve had situations where my trust and faith in God were tested, and I opted for the path that I thought would be better. A wave of shame, hurt, depression, and guilt would fall upon me.

It felt like I had been thrown into a furnace and unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago, I got burned because I abandoned my trust in God. Burns can leave scars and scars remind us of the battles we fought. Through all of life’s trials, whether they be good or bad, learning to have faith and keep your trust strong in Him can turn the tides on whatever you may be facing. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18

These three men face death for not bowing down and worshipping the king’s statue, yet their hearts are set on God and God alone. They are willing to die than to bow down and worship the king’s idols he created. After God sent His angel to rescue the men, we see this:

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago! He sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him. They violated their king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” 

Daniel 3:28

The king didn’t praise the men, he praised God! In the end, we may win our battles and praise ourselves when we really should be praising God, for He’s the one who gave us the power to win and overcome our obstacles. 

I leave you with a few questions:

• Have you ever felt like you were tossed into a fiery furnace? If so, how did you see God work through your life to get you out of it?

• When you observe your life, do you see that you should put more faith and trust in God? 

• What are some ways that you can learn to seek God in times of struggle?