From, by, or Through the fire.

Reading: Daniel 3-4, 1 Timothy 1, and 2 Thessalonians 1

Scripture: Daniel 3:16-17, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

Thoughts: The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is one the church teaches kids from a young age. To me this was there to demonstrate that we are to follow God verses following man. As that is true but I also see a deliverance story, this passage shows two of the three deliverances in this story. The three types of deliverance; delivered from, delivered by, and delivered through. The two that are in this passage are from and by, they only saw the first two options in ether God keep us from going into the fire, or he will take us from you by the fire. The third deliverance is the hardest one. Yes, God can keep us from the fire of our trials, he can also take us home (heaven) by those trials, but there are times where he walks with you through that fire. Our refining happens in the midst of a fire, just like the process of refining medals it takes heat and time to bring the impurities to the surface to remove them. 

Prayer: Father, you are the one who delivers us, you are the one who takes care of all things. I thank you for your deliverance and lay my life at your feet, help me be refined and remove the impurities. I thank you for what you are doing in me. I thank you for family and times to gather in your name. I thank you for your provisions and blessings you have for us every day. Open my eyes to see what needs to change in my life and open my ears to year your word.