Burning the Fake Out!

This is a wow God thing! I am in a Beth Moore Bible study called “Daniel” (the book of Daniel in the Bible) with a couple friends. Yesterday’s lesson was about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace when they refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Beth talked about three different scenarios when people of God face a fiery trial.

Guess what her illustration was about? Yep; you find a lump in your breast, is it cancer?

Scenario A: We can be delivered from the fire. When that happens our faith is built.
We could have our illness removed miraculously and give God glory

Scenario B: We can be delivered through the fire. When that happens our faith is refined.
We go through the illness and emerge recovered.

Scenario C: We can be delivered by the fire into His arms. When this happens our faith is perfected.
We succumb to the illness and go into the presence of God.

I find myself in scenario B, going through the fire.

A couple of verses that really speak to me is

1 Peter 1:6-7:
“In all this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Isaiah 43:1-3
“Do ot fear for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When (notice it doesn’t say if) you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Beth Moore said that when we are in the fire, God is “burning the fake out of us”, refining us. I really like that quote. He will get me on the other side. I pray that my fiery furnace will result in praise, glory and honor to God.

In all honesty, I am not ready at this point to face scenario C.

There was so much more but I will leave you with one last thought. When the three guys were in the fire and the 4th one showed up, looking at translations it may appear that the 4th person in the fire was a manifestation of God. The connection for us is that every time we go through a fire, we are the 4th person. We are in the fire with the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). What better company to be with?

In awe of God,
Trish