ICS Daily Devotions
The Grace of God Will Sustain You in Any Hot Situation
In the Book of Daniel 3:8-30, we read of three friends who were put into a very hot situation and yet the grace of God sustained and strengthened them supernaturally.
It was the time of Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. It was the most powerful, prosperous and influential kingdom of that era and it was a heathen nation that worshipped a huge image made of gold.
Together with Daniel were three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego who loved God. They were totally dedicated to God and did not do anything to defile their lives by the things of the world, and refused to bow down to the golden image because they worshipped God. For this, the king was furious and set up a furnace to burn them up for disobeying the command to bow down to the image.
In a sense, the highest authority of the land was against them, a situation that seemed the end of the road for the three friends but the king did not realize that God was a higher authority than he was!
Daniel 3:17(NKJV) “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.”
This is indeed a bold statement in a difficult time which shows true faith when the “rubber meets the road.”
We note a few things from the story
1) The fire had no power upon their bodies. This was because the grace power of Christ was at work encapsulating the three men in the midst of the fire. God was resting upon them thus the fire could not harm them. Grace works best in the fire. When you are weak, God’s strength is fully manifested.
2) Not a single strand of their hairs was singed. God knows the number of hairs on your head. God will take care of the slightest detail of your life, if you are fully committed to Him and refuse to compromise in your stand. Grace is always more than enough.
3) They were bound but yet they were free in the midst of the fire. You can experience peace in the midst of the trial! The yoke can be broken by God and His burden is light because He is with you and He has promised in His Word that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
4) Their coats were not damaged which meant that those things that belong to them were not destroyed. God’s grace will not just give you power but it will also save those things that God had given you. You will not “lose your coat” if you flow with grace.
5) They did not even smell of smoke though they had been thrown into the fiery furnace heated up seven times hotter. Throw yourself fully on Jesus and trust that by the stripes of Jesus, you are healed and there will be no sign of the problem that you had before.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with thee and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When you walk through the fire thou shall not be burned; neither will the flame kindle upon you.
Sermon Series: Grace for Life
