Dr Paul Allen

Late 3rd century/early 4th century Christians depicted the fiery furnace in the Catacombs of Priscilla, Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Hebrews 11:6 When we are facing a tough, extreme, or tragic situation, our faith is either strengthened or destroyed. Consider the intensity of a fire. Most things can’t withstand its heat, as it can consume entire forests and neighborhoods in a matter of days. But the same fire doesn’t burn up gold. Instead, it purifies it. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the furnace, they confirmed they would praise only the living God . It was a death sentence . They could have decided to save themselves by doing what the king wanted, but their faith would have been unreliable—burned up in the midst of danger. Instead they went against the king by keeping their loyalty to the Lord . Their faith was purified. Whether God saved them or decided not to, their faith didn’t waver because the holy object of their faith never wavers. (And God did save

Image via Wikipedia "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." ( Isaiah 43:2 )   Although this tremendous promise is primarily to be understood in a spiritual sense (deliverance through overflowing sorrows and fiery trials), God has demonstrated His ability to fulfill the spiritual aspects of the promise by its miraculous literal fulfillment in the physical realm, on special occasions. The crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel is an obvious example of safe passage through deep waters.   The amazing experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar 's fiery furnace is the most spectacular example of deliverance from burning. As the three emerged unscathed from the "exceeding hot" flames, the king was astounded when he "saw these men, upon whose bodies the