4th Man in the Fire
We all face moments when life feels overwhelming—when the pressure is high, and the heat is on. Maybe you’ve been there lately. Maybe you’re walking through the fire right now. This Sunday, we’re diving into one of the most powerful stories in Scripture: the fiery furnace in Daniel 3.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the flames for refusing to bow to a false god. But they weren’t alone. The king looked into the fire and saw a fourth man—someone who looked like the Son of God—standing with them.
That same Jesus is still showing up today.
Our message, Fourth Man in the Fire, is all about God’s faithfulness in our hardest moments and our call to remain faithful to Him. We’ll be reminded that even when God doesn’t keep us out of the fire, He always steps in and walks with us through it.
Day 4: Deliverance Transforms Rather Than Just Removes Hardship
God’s deliverance doesn’t always mean pulling us out of the fire. Sometimes, it means changing the fire itself.
In Daniel 3, the furnace burned away the ropes binding Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—but didn’t harm them. They came out free, stronger, and untouched by what should have destroyed them.
God often uses trials to break chains we didn’t even realize we were carrying. His goal isn’t always to remove hardship, but to transform us through it—freeing us, refining us, and drawing us closer to Him.
“Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.”
— Lamentations 3:32-33
Reflection:
Is there a hardship you’re facing where God might be using the fire to free or transform you instead of simply removing the trial? How can you trust His refining work today?