Could You Choose Death By Fire?

They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.(Dan. 3)

It has been a very long time since I have read the story of Shamrock, Meshach and Abednego.

However this morning I was taken by the story in an entirely new way.  Those men trusted God so much that they were willing to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Now, you need to know, the one of the things that I have always been afraid of is burning to death.  Alway! 

But before I go any further, about what is moving about in my brain, I want to say that I do not think that anyone would chose to be thrown in a fiery furnace.

Or at least I would never chose to.

But it still it is a wonder to me to trust, so much in God, that even fire surrounding  us in a contained place can be done safely.

From the time I can remember I would contrive all sorts of plans to avoid being caught in a fire.  

We spent our summers in a cabin, my dad and uncle built, in the High Sierras.  The cabin was on Lake George 9500 feet above sea level.

The only way to get the the cabin was by boat; or on foot walking around the lake.  It was a beautiful place.

Our cabin was a good walk up the mountain from the lake.  And I would lay in my bunk, late at night, devising a plan on how I could get from the cabin to the lake in case of fire.

I had decided that the fire couldn’t hurt me if I were in the water.

So to read about three men being willing to be thrown in a contained furnace, of blazing fire, is to me is an unbelievable trust in God.

Think about that.  

They were willing to prove that the God they believed in was the only God — the only thing — they could counted on for their safety, their well-being.

Today the entire world is being faced with coronavirus 19.  No one is immune from catching it.  And I dare say the world is filled with an honest fear of catching it.

It makes me wonder how many people are lying in their bed, late at night so scared that they are, devising a plan for avoiding the cursed disease.

Planning, like our nation did in the fifties, to building safe bunkers.  Bunkers supplied with all the food, and other essentials needed, to survive for many week in this small often underground, vault of refuge.

And then there are others who must feel invincible; making unadvised decisions that endanger themselves and others.

Both kinds of planning leave God out of the reality equation.

Both groups have chosen self-sufficient ways of dealing with the situation. Not even thinking of God’s promise of provision and guidance. 

Then there are those who are accepting the challenge of trusting -- putting their lives in the God hands.  Trying to follow the best ways to safe guard themselves and others.  

Now I can’t even imagine all of the things going on in other people minds.

What I do know is that we have been faces with a situation that we have no control over.  And no matter how scared we are, or how prepared we think we are, God presence is the one thing we are all promise.

You see, God has never promised us perfect peace; or perfect safety.  But He does promise to always walk with us through whatever comes.

And to me that is the best new for any day.