Day 14 - God's Goodness Is Always With Us
- Pastor b.Side
- May 13
- 3 min read
“Look!” he answered, “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 God.” Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace [and] spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come [here].” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. - Daniel 3:25-26
When Jesus called people to follow Him, He was sure to mention the cost involved. It requires a death to personal ambition and self-seeking. He promised persecution and suffering for the sake of the Gospel. The history of scripture shows that this was true of His servants even before He was made incarnate. The men and women who served God might not have known the name Jesus Christ in Old Testament times, but that does not mean they did not suffer for His namesake, nor does it mean He did not save and deliver them either.
“Look…”
The testimony in Daniel 3:25-26 is an eyewitness account, verified by a man who witnessed this miracle firsthand in the presence of others. The king had thrown Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego into a furnace for rebelling against his edict to worship an idol made in his image. The fire had been heated seven times hotter than normal to the extent that it accidentally consumed the men who took the king’s prisoners there. The three men were bound and expected to die brutally and swiftly. Yet, the king and his guards saw the men walking freely in the midst of the flames. They then realized that there was another person in the furnace with them. Somehow, these four men were in the furnace, totally unaffected!
“The fourth is like the Son of God…”
Nebuchadnezzar stated that the fourth man he saw was “like the Son of God.” He must have voluntarily stepped into the fire with the prisoners because they were surprised to see Him. Where did He come from? The text implies that He appears out of nowhere! Why would someone step into the middle of a death sentence? A human figure emerged from nothing amidst the fire, having surrendered Himself there, yet unharmed, and protecting the other men from death. The only explanation the king could offer was that this was God in the flesh!
“Servants of the Most High God, come out…”
The king went to address Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego but referred to them as “servants of the Most High God,” not as his prisoners or as rebels. His original intentions were to punish the three Jewish men for refusing to worship him. His punishment was brutal towards his own jailers but ineffective against God’s servants. The Most High isn’t only exalted above all aspects of human life but also attentive to the threats against His servants. His transcendence doesn’t make Him distant. He abides with His people supernaturally, enabling them to continue in His service unto His glory. God delivered them from the issues that hindered their ministry and worship of Him. This is the extent of God’s goodness, manifested in the flesh through Jesus Christ, the fourth Man in the midst of the fire. When we’re with Him, it’s because He’s with us – and people tend to notice…
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, thank You for this incredible encouragement. Although You are supremely exalted, You are never distant. Thank You, Jesus, for sharing Your goodness to protect us from the things that endanger our connection to You, for Your glory. Amen!
Comments