Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“‘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.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.”         (Daniel 3:25-27)

Nobody wants to suffer. I know I don’t. But when it comes, I know that God has something for me to learn. There is a victory lesson to be learned through sufferings.

God did not just deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego from the fiery furnace. He got in the furnace and went through the fire with them. When the king called fro them to come out of the furnace, the king’s court witnessed that the fire had no power over them, nor was their hair even singed. Neither did they nor their clothes even smell like smoke! Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he later acknowledged God as the only true God. Just imagine what this experience did in the lives of these 3 Hebrew children! What a beautiful and thrilling testimony that must have shared with everyone for the rest of their lives.

In the furnace of being diagnosed with lung cancer, I, too, learned more about the Savior. I learned about His love, His compassion, His knowledge, and His power to heal.

Steel is iron plus fire. Soil is rock plus heat or crushing. Human character must have a plus attached to it. The world does not forget great character. Great character is not made of luxury. Character is perfected in hard places.

Someday, God is going to reveal to all believers that the very hard times they once resisted have been the instruments He used in perfecting their character and molding them into perfection — polished stones for His great building in heaven.