WHEN YOU’RE IN THE FIRE, IN THE ADVERSITY, YOU MAY NOT SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING. YOU DON’T THINK ANYTHING IS CHANGING OR IMPROVING. BUT YOU CAN BE SURE THE FOURTH MAN IS IN THERE WITH YOU.

GOSPEL CORNER

27/07/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Daniel 3:25, NKJV

IN THE FIRE
In Daniel 3, when three Hebrew teenagers were thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, not only did they survive without being harmed, but their enemies saw a fourth man, one “like the Son of God,” with them. What’s interesting is that the teenagers couldn’t see the fourth man. When you’re in the fire, in the adversity, you may not see what God is doing. You don’t think anything is changing or improving. But you can be sure the fourth man is in there with you. The beauty of our God is that He never lets you go in the fire alone.

Meanwhile, the king was stunned. He had the teenagers brought out and decreed that no one in the nation speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Sometimes God lets you go through the fire so other people will see the hand of God on your life. They’ll see that the cancer or the bad break or the betrayal couldn’t take you out. They’ll see God’s power displayed through you and be changed.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that when I am overwhelmed with challenges, You will show out with Your power so others will know that You are God. Thank You that You are with me in the fire whether I can see You or not. I believe that You will display Your power through me today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

The book of Daniel records how King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made a towering golden statue and commanded all in his kingdom to bow down before it and worship it. Three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, whom the king had appointed to oversee the province of Babylon, refused to do so.

Humiliated by their defiance, the king was livid. He gave them one more chance to bow down and worship his golden statue or be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.

Without flinching, they said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t . . . we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Dan. 3:16–18 NLT).

The king commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual, and ordered some of his strongest soldiers to bind them and throw them into the furnace. The furnace was so hot that the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men into the roaring flames, securely bound.

Suddenly, the king jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his officials, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Dan. 3:24–25).

Nebuchadnezzar called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” The three men stepped out of the fire and all the officials and advisers crowded around them and “saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched” (Dan. 3:26–27 NLT). In fact, the flames only served to loose them from their bonds.

Amazed at how their God had protected them, Nebuchadnezzar began praising God himself. The king then issued a decree stating that if any person spoke a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, they would be cut in pieces and their houses would be turned into ash heaps “because there is no other God who can deliver like this” (Dan. 3:29). Then, the king promoted the three men to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

Beloved, this is your God.