In the third chapter of the book of Daniel, a story is told of three men who refused to worship their king (notice the lowercase of the word “king”) and the golden idol that he created because they recognized God as being their true King.  They proudly told the king that they did not fear his punishment because they knew their God would deliver them from this circumstance.  Because of their stance, their punishment was to be tied up and thrown into a furnace heated seven times more than it would have normally been heated.  While in the furnace, the king was told that there were four (notice four, not three) men walking around, inside the blazing furnace, unbound.  Upon seeing this, the king called the three (back to three) men to exit the furnace.  As the king and his officials gathered around the men, they noticed that the men had been untouched by the blazing furnace, except for the straps that bound them.

I hope you all can see where this is going.  Many people look at me and my life and think that I have a great life.  I do, but only because of my faith in a God whose grace and mercy ensure I don’t look like what I’ve been through.  Some days I feel like I have been through hell and back because of the demands of my clients, the attitudes of random people I encounter and even dealing with my own self-talk.  It is at these times, that I have to remember that God walks with me and talks with me when I put my faith in Him.  A lot of us look like the hell we are going through because we have little faith.  We only want to praise God during the good times and wonder why He forsakes us when things go wrong.  God allows us to suffer to test our faith.  He wants to know if you truly believe or if you are just a Convenient Christian. 

We are bound to a world of sin and misery yet freedom can be ours if we place our faith in God and take comfort knowing that He is with us during our good times and bad.  You will never be placed in a situation that won’t make you stronger, if you (this is important) decide to walk in the light.  It is so easy to get caught up in all of the things that go wrong because let’s face it, life is rough.  However, walking in the light, finding the good in every situation requires that we change our lens and retune our focus.

I don’t look like what I’ve been through.  I still walk around in the furnace (everyday life) but I know that God is going to deliver me from whatever is thrown my way.  I don’t feel the scorch of everyday life because I am covered by grace and mercy.  Ask yourself today… do you look like what you’ve been through?  Can people look at you and tell you can’t afford to pay your bills?  Can they see the lust in your eyes for someone that will never be yours?  Can they sense the bitterness toward the world in the venom you spew with every word?  If so, you might want to examine whether God is in your furnace or if you are allowing yourself to be scorched for no reason.  God doesn’t want any of His children to suffer but He will allow things to get a little heated in order to strengthen our faith.  Do you look like what you’ve been through?

Special thanks to Rev. Dwight Guthridge for bringing this passage and perspective to my attending during a worship service in Dallas TX.