Furnaces are powerful. They can be used to destroy things like the ones that incinerate trash. They can provide heat and warmth in our homes during winter. They can also be used to purity materials and create very valuable metals like gold, silver, and even steel.
About 600 years before Jesus was born, about 2618 years ago there were three young Jewish men who were captives in Babylon. The king’s name was Nebuchadnezzar who had this narcissistic thing going on so, he built an image of himself made of gold. It was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He set it up, gathered all the leaders of all the people, anyone who had any importance at all, and told them that whenever they heard some kind of music everyone was to stop what they were doing and fall down and worship the image ‘Nezzer had set up.
The problem was these three young men were not going to bow down to anyone, not so much out of disrespect to Nezzer, but out of their devotion to their own God, the only One True God. So, some people noticed that these 3 guys are not hitting the pavement when the music starts and go tattle tale to the King. Nezzer brings them in front of himself and reminds them of the rules.
But they were maybe a little cocky. Their BFF, Daniel, was tight with Nezzer and maybe felt like the rules did not exactly apply to them and so they told Nezzer that he could play the funky music loud boy, but they were not going to flop because their God was the Bomb and whatever His will was they were cool with that.
Nezzer plays the music loud boy and they are just standing there while everyone else is in the prone position. The king loses it and his anger is so strong that his face literally becomes contorted and he demands the furnace be heated up 7 times hotter than normal. He commanded his most valiant warriors to tie them up and throw them in the fire clothes and all. This important assignment was their last assignment for when they opened the door to throw the boys in after completing their assignment they were all consumed by the flames. So, needless to say, it was a little hot in there.
Now apparently those outside could see inside the furnace and something really weird is going on. Three guys were thrown in but now there is a fourth in the furnace with them in the flames and that one had the appearance “like a son of the gods.” Nezzer cannot believe his eyes. His valiant soldiers outside the furnace were killed by the flames when they just got close but those in the furnace are just hanging out.
Nezzer commands them to come out which they all three do. They are not burned. Their clothes are fine and not even a hair on their heads is singed. They did not even smell of smoke. When I get to heaven I want to watch that video on HisTube where we will be able to watch all of the bible stories in living technicolor.
This week I want to talk to you about the furnace that you may be having to endure. Sometimes our Father allows us to go into a furnace, not as punishment for our sins. His punishment was all placed on Jesus at the cross. He wants to purify us. He wants to use the circumstances in which we find ourselves to purify our faith, which is more precious than gold.
One thing I know for certain after having spent much of the past 13 years of my life in recovery, I can trust Him when I am in the furnace. He will use the fires of trials to make me godlier and more whole. He wants what is best for me and there is some junk I have picked up along the way that His furnace needs to burn away so that I can be a godlier and more Christ-like man.
Tomorrow, let’s turn it up a notch and feel the burn!!!