"They're Looking"

"Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king." Daniel 3:24

Why was the king looking into the furnace? Why didn't he just give the order to throw the three men in and leave it at that? After all, when something is thrown into a fire, what do you expect to see? I have a fireplace and I can tell you what we see each and every time we put wood into it-- it is consumed, there is nothing left to look at but ashes.

 

Being the king, he should have just given the order and gone on with the business of ruling, but he didn't, he checked the furnace. He checked the furnace to see what would happen to the men because of the "testimony" they had given-- "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (vv. 16-18)

 

Why? Because they had testified to him about God's saving, delivering power. They had showed unwavering faith to their God even under the threat of death. They did not recant, they did not compromise, they did not cower back in fear, they didn't beg for their lives, they stood firm. The king heard their words and waited to see what would happen. Would their God deliver them? Would He abandon them in the furnace? Was He even real? Were they worshipping a false God?

If you are professing to be a Christian, then you too have a testimony about the Lord that others are seeing through your life. Like the king, your family members, friends, coworkers, fellow students and acquaintances are listening, they are watching, they want to know if what you have is real. They want to know if your God/Jesus is who you say He is.

 

When the king looked into the furnace, he saw Jesus in there with them. "He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (verse 25) So what are they seeing when they look at your life? Do they see Him with you when you are walking through difficulties? Do they see joy and peace when you are in a fiery furnace trial? Do they see Him through the steadfast faith you possess when you are facing persecution or the opportunity to compromise? They are listening, they are watching, and they are waiting to see if He is who you say He is and will do what you say He can do.

 

Have a great day. You are being watched to see if Jesus is who you say He is and can do what you say He can do. 

 

For further reading:

Daniel 3