Daniel

July 27

Daniel 3:19-28

I am with you

Daniel’s friends had refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and so they were thrown into a very hot furnace. It was so hot that even the guards, who threw the three men in, were burned to death.

Yet, as the king looked into the fiery furnace, he saw four men standing there. He got such a fright; he went up to the furnace and called them out. When they came out not a single hair on their bodies had been burnt and their clothes did not even smell of smoke. Then the king praised their God, the true God, and made the men officials in his kingdom.

Why does God feel so far away when I am in trouble?

If you have gone on a long car trip, you may have closed your eyes and dozed off on the back seat with a soft pillow and blanket. You wouldn’t be able to see your father driving, yet you would have peace knowing that he is in control and that he would get you safely to your destination.

We don’t have to see or feel God for Him to be close to us and in complete control. Some situations can be quite stressful, and it is natural for our emotions to get caught up in a crisis situation. However, it is obvious that at times like these. we cannot expect our emotions to feed our faith with good feelings.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God had told the Israelites that He would be with them. He said, “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands” (Jeremiah 42:11).

One of the last things Jesus said to his disciples before He went back to Heaven was, “… and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:20. Jesus won’t ever break His promise. He is with you all the time, even when it doesn’t feel like it!

Verse for today   

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2