God Brings New Life Out of the Fire
By Rick Warren
“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28 (NIV)
How you handle pain is a great witness to the world. When you trust God in spite of suffering, you’ll point unbelievers to him.
Frankly, you and I aren’t much of a witness when life is good. Anyone can serve God during those times. But tough times are a different story.
Remember the story of Daniel’s friends being tossed into the fire? They trusted God, and he rescued them in a miraculous manner.
These guys impressed the king with their faith. And the king was the most powerful leader of that time.
The king said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NIV).
King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that these guys were willing to defy his order and risk death because they trusted God.
When you know what you’re willing to die for, that’s when you’re truly living. That kind of conviction will give you courage in the middle of the fire.
There are some trees that only sprout after a forest fire, including the jack pine tree of North America. The seeds are in the cones so tightly that they won’t come out unless intense heat comes along. After heat melts the resin, the seed is able to drop and germinate. Without heat, this process wouldn’t happen.
The same is true with us.
Sometimes God brings new life to others because they see us trust him through the fire.
If that’s where you are right now—going through the fire—you don’t have to figure it all out before you trust God. You can tell him right now that you believe he is with you, that he loves you, and that he is working for your good.
Ask him for help. But don’t wait for his answer to start trusting that he will bring you through the fire. And don’t wait to start telling others about his goodness—even in the middle of the fire.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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