Loosed In The Fire
Have you ever noticed as you read the Bible, that many times in the Word of God we see great victories arise out of what looked like utter defeat?
Now we could name several. Job. Paul & Silas bound and thrown into prison. They never lost their committment.
Many times in King David’s life we see what appeared to be total defeat turned to victory. And even the Lord Jesus who to the world seemed as though he was defeated at Calvary as He bled and died, but the greatest victory of all was taking place.
I want to look at one case in Daniel 3:15-17. I want to point out 2 statements that the 3 Hebrew children made:
1. A STATEMENT OF FAITH - verse 17. Our God is able. He will deliver us out of thy hand. (Either way king, you have no power over us.)They were letting the king know that no matter what, however our God chooses to do things, we are out of your hands.
Sometimes it’s important to let the devil know that no matter how things turn out, it’s our of his hands. We have turned it over to God and trust Him to handle it.
The apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1-12, "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."
The reason your prayer life and devotional time is so important is because it causes you to know Jesus.
We know these young Hebrew men were faithful in prayer, but yet here they are in crisis.
In fact it was Daniel’s faithful prayer life that got him into his crisis. It was also his faithful prayer life that got him out.]
Prayer doesn’t always keep us out of crisis, but it causes us to know the one whom we believe and that trust in Him brings us through the crisis.
COMMUNICATION BUILDS TRUST!
The Hebrews made a statement of faith. Paul made a statement of faith. Job made a statement of faith.
Jesus said, "Speak unto the mountain", make a statement of faith in your time of crisis.
2. A STATEMENT OF COMMITTMENT - verse 18. We will not worship the golden image. (No truce, no treaty, no compromise)
If we make a statement of faith, we must also be committed to it.
I was watching an old movie once where some people were in a plane flying over the ocean and they began to have problems of one kind or another. Someone said to the captain, "Maybe we should turn back." He said, "We can’t, we are past that point. We are committed now." They had passed the half-way mark and there was not enough fuel to turn back. They would have to put all their efforts into reaching the other side.
We have a lot of people today lingering at the half-way mark.
Is there anyone who can say, "I am committed. No turning back"?
A lot of people today like to make faith statements, but they don’t really want to be committed to their statements. They are only committed until they feel the heat.
Look at verse 19. The furnace was heated 7 times hotter.
It’s easy to be committed to following God as long as it means everybody loves you and you are well spoken of. But, will the committment be the same when God’s way conflicts with the world’s way?
It’s easy to make faith statements when there is a cool breeze on our back, but look out, they are heating up the furnace;
As the bank says "No more time"
As the doctor says "It doesn’t look good"
As your family says "You are carrying this church thing a little too far".
Let me tell you something. I don’t believe one of those young men turned to the other and said "You know I was believing that God was going to save us, but I just think it’s His will that we burn up".
NO, NO, NO!
I believe they kept their mouths shut and kept their committment.
THEY WERE LOOSED IN THE FIRE!
Faith didn’t keep them out of the fire, but their faith caused the Lord of Glory to show up and get in the fire with them.
I said they were LOOSED IN THE FIRE! The fire had no power over them. They didn’t even smell like smoke. (vs. 27)Their lives would never be the same again, and the king’s life would never be the same again.
Maybe you are in a crisis today. Maybe money, family, business, health and it looks hopeless. Maybe you think Satan has already won, but listen to me. If you will put your faith in God and stay committed to Him, Jesus has said "I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you." He’ll show up in the midst of your fire.
Be committed to him. He can create an atmosphere of peace around you right in the midst of the fire.
There is a place in Christ where we can be loosed in the fire, where we can have peace in the storm. But we must make a committment to Him and His Word.
Daniel chapter 6 tells of Daniel being thrown into a den of lions. Verse 22 says that no hurt was found upon Daniel because he refused to be disobedient to God. Out of defeat came victory.
In each case we find that victory rises out of defeat. It is because that no matter what the persecution, someone was committed to God’s Word and God’s ways.
Do you feel like the heat is turned up?
Are you looking for peace?
There is a place in Christ where you can be loosed in the fire.
You can have peace in the storm, but you must make the committment.
Why not turn your life over to Jesus, casting every care upon Him because He careth for you.
DON’T BEND, DON’T BOW, AND DON’T BURN! BE LOOSED IN THE FIRE! BE COMMITTED TO GOD!
