The Furnace

 

Tuesday afternoon, I was making some steel key fobs with my forge (for Christmas gifts: I’m cheap).  After I cut them off of the round rod stock, I had to reheat them to stamp a monogram on the base.  But now they were short, and the forge was too hot for me to use my pliers or tongs to put them back in.  When I got close to the furnace opening, I singed the hair on the back of my hand!  So, I threw the three pieces in, as best I could (it took me several tries) and then used the remaining rod to move them around.  As I carefully worked around the hot forge, I was reminded of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego in Daniel 3.  But Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace was much hotter than mine.  And I felt sorry for the men who were tasked with throwing the three Hebrew children into the furnace (actually, they perished!).  But I am always challenged by Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego’s boldness in addressing the king.  They threw caution to the wind trusting the Lord completely!  Whether God delivered them or not, they were committed to Him!  They said in Daniel 3:17&18, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”  What trust!  What total abandon!  Hey, do you have faith in God?  Read His Word and pray this morning and trust God like there’s no tomorrow ... because there might not be!