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. Daniel 3:17

Picture the scene: a statue towering above the great city of Babylon made in the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. His pride was so inflated that he demanded everyone to bow down and worship it. But three servant boys refused, standing firm in their faith and trust God as their true master. The king, in his anger, threw them into a blazing furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual. Yet, as people watched, they saw a fourth man standing and shining brightly with them. The king ordered the Hebrew boys to come out, and just then, everyone saw they were unharmed. Moved by this miracle, the king began to worship the true God.

This story contains one of my favorite statements in scripture. The Hebrew boys told the angry king, “Our God will deliver us, and even if He doesn’t, we won’t do the evil thing you’ve asked.” How incredible is that? In their most terrifying moment, they chose not to compromise or take control but to trust God’s power and plan.

Recently, I was faced with one of the biggest trials of my life. In the midst of it, I found myself on my knees in a hospital room, pleading with the Lord. At that moment, the spirit revealed three truths to me: I am not in control, the God of Heaven's armies is by my side, and God's will shall be done. I prayed a new prayer, one that has echoed in my life since: “Lord, I know you can, will you?” This simple prayer reminded me of God's power, His higher plans, His care for His children, and His desire for us to pray in faith and believing.

Our God doesn’t just deliver us; He stands with us during trials. Just as He stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, He is with us in our grief and suffering. God, in His kindness, worked miracles and delivered my family. Now, looking back, I see it as one of the greatest testimonies to the world of God's presence in my life. 

Deliverance from trials and suffering leads those far from God to worship Him. We see this repeated throughout all of the scripture. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered from the fire, and King Neb worshiped the Most High God. The Israelites were delivered by the power of God through the Red Sea from the captivity of the Egyptians, and the whole world heard of it and feared the God of the Israelites. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, healed the sick, and freed the captives. And the greatest deliverance of them all: Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, which changed the course of the world. Now, we hope for the return of Christ, which scripture tells us will cause every knee to bow when they witness Him deliver His people from evil and pain. 

We know there is another in the fire with us because he has gone through fire for us, and He wasn’t delivered unscathed. He has holes in His hands and feet to prove it. He is certainly alive, but He walked through death so that we could live. We know that God can deliver us from temporary affliction, but even if He doesn’t, we will still worship Him because He has delivered us from our greatest enemy: sin and death. So, we can also hold on to the promise of eternity, and even when we aren’t delivered in the moment or in this life, we can know that deliverance is coming and that in suffering, our God is near us. He is with us in His rescuing of us. He is not distant.