Another in the Fire…
- The Room Experience TRME
- May 10, 2019
- 4 min read
Entry 40
Anchor Passage:
These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up quickly.
He spoke and said to his ministers, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”
He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are unharmed; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
– Daniel 3: 23 – 25 (NHEB)
Acknowledgement:
Thank you, Hillsong United. This episode was inspired by your song – Another in the Fire (People, 2019).
Dedication:
This episode is dedicated to you, Olumayowa Temitope Ogundijo – May the OTHER in the fire never cease to hold back the heat, and may you come out on the other side stronger and more refined.
Hi,
Surprised to hear from me? Lol. I’m actually still alive and well, though not where I want to be, yet, still in the process. I’ll get there.
So, Service Year is almost over. I have less than two months to go. Yaay! It hasn’t been easy, but God has proven Himself to be consistently faithful even when I’m not. And believe me, I know I haven’t been faithful in the real sense of the word. Earlier this week, I had my eleventh monthly clearance, and as I looked back through the preceding ten months, I realised one thing: they have been seasons of fire.
Now, we all know how dangerous fire is. We all understand how extremely destructive it can be. To be fair, fire has its useful sides. In fact, I daresay that it has both sides balancing each other. So, it can be said that fire is neither good nor bad. The identity of fire is determined by the use it is put to or by the role it is found performing.
Seasons of Fire
In retrospect, I think I can convincingly say that life, as it is, is one big furnace of fire. And when you come to look at it, you’ll discover that there is no escape from this fire. As long as you’re alive, you’re in the fire, no matter who or what you are.
However, just like the identity of fire is based on the use it is put to, each and every one of us as distinct individuals in life can wilfully determine how the fire of life interacts with us and how we will eventually end up on the other side, having fully passed through this fire. This means we can determine whether life’s fire makes us into something better or burns us into ashes.
We can either be like the raw gold that passes through fire and comes out stronger and more beautiful or we can be like a bundle of dry straw which when pushed into fire, goes up in flames till it is reduced to mere ashes.
One thing that should be noted though is that even with the best intentions, fire can still go out of control. Sometimes, even when we intend not to go up in flames and we take good measures to guard against this, life can still pull one of its tricks and end up betraying us. Sometimes, we end up in the very situation we are trying not to find ourselves in.
But there is a good news! And this good news is simple: we don’t have to go through life’s fire alone. In fact, we do not go through the fire alone. There is always ANOTHER in the fire whose presence we only have to consciously acknowledge and puff! The heat of the fire goes.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
The same One who became the fourth person in the fiery furnace in which Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into is always there in the fire of life, exterminating the heat of the fire and making going through it easier than we can ever think is possible. And all we just have to do is to simply invite Him to be with us through our journey through the fire. And that’s it.
He’s the only One able to keep us from falling; able to keep us standing till the last day. He’s the only One able to shelter us from the heat of the fire of life; able to stop us from being consumed by it.
Personally, I have been able to scale through my own seasons of fire only because the Other in the fire is always standing next to me, holding back the heat and pushing me forward. Today, I am stronger, better and wiser for it. And as a result, I hunger for more of life’s fire; I can’t wait to plunge into my seasons of fire to come, because I know there will be Another in the fire making me invincible to its heat.
So, why don’t you consciously invite Him into your season of fire today? What do you have to lose?
Prayer:
Abba,
In life’s fire, help us acknowledge Your Presence, and through it all, let Your Love hold back the heat till we arrive at the other side, spotless. And even if we burn, let Your Grace bring out the beauty from our ashes, for only You can bring something out of nothing.
Amen.
Comments