Faith and Fire

In all honesty, I did not write what I am about to share, as a blogpost. I actually shared it in church yesterday (the 8th September 2024) during a time we call "Five minutes of Fire". The thing is, my last blogpost was in August 2022 and as Sean has pointed out (many times over the last two years!) I was way overdue writing onother one. I guess I am sharing this, as not only is it personal to me, but I also hope and trust that someone reading this will be greatly encouraged by what I share.

There is a quote by John Maxwell that says: 

“A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted”. 

Let me say that again: 

“A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted”. 

Faith is an incredibly difficult substance to measure. The Bible says in Matthew 17:20-21 that “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you”. A mustard seed is tiny; about the size of the back of a pin, and I don’t know about you but I have never managed to get a mountain to move even a millimeter, let alone move from one place to another entirely.

Some reading this may know that 2024 has been a rather challenging year in the Krige household. Sean ended his last paid work season in March this year (so that was his last full salary) and I was convinced that we would just move from one work opportunity to the next with no loss of income. Not so. We are now in September (in case anyone needed reminding) and Sean has yet to earn a salary for a month’s work. Let me also just share that before the 11 months of income that ended in March this year, there was another 5 months of no income!

“A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted.”

I have found, in this season of our lives, so much comfort in the Old Testament book of Daniel. I am sure many of us grew up with the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and perhaps even know the story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. This is where I want to point us to today; because although I started my blogpost talking about my faith, this is not where I want to end it.

For those who do not know the story here is a short summary: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three Jewish men who were officials in the Babylonian government. When King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the people to worship a golden statue or be thrown into a fiery furnace, the three men refused to bow down. Despite the threat of death, they remained faithful to their belief in the one true God. In fact their exact words, when challenged by King Nebuchadnezzar, were: “...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, a furnace that was heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. And what comes next is what made my heart leap when I read it. Daniel chapter 3 vs 24 and 25, in the New King James version, say:
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “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.”

I have read this story before and I always thought that the fourth being in the fire was an angel. It was only when I read these verses a few months ago, and compared different versions, that I read in the New King James and the King James versions the words: the fourth form is like the Son of God.

Let these words sink in for a bit. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took place 600 years before the birth of Christ and yet here the king sees one like the son of God, in the fire with the three men. Oh friends, let these words give us hope and joy and faith!

“A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted”.

You see, often we think that when we have faith, we won’t end up in the fire in the first place. And sometimes God works with us like this. But not always. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith still got them thrown into the fire. God could have intervened beforehand, at any time, to prevent this. He could have stopped King Nebuchadnezzar from making the golden statue or from making the decree that everyone had to worship the image. But he didn’t. God could have blinded the eyes of the men who came forward to accuse the 3 Jewish men which resulted in them being brought before the king. But he didn’t. God could have changed King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and mind and caused him to choose not to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire in the first place. An angel could have rescued them, an earthquake could have shaken the earth and caused the furnace to drop into an abyss. But none of this happened because a faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted. And so instead of rescuing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the furnace, their faith was fully tested. BUT GOD sent Jesus to stand in the fire with them. There were not three men in the furnace that day, there were four! Jesus was in the fire too.

The singer TobyMac from DC Talk, asks us: Do you suppose that the same God that stood in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is not also standing with you? Your furnace may look different than theirs, but the one alongside you has not changed.

The Krige family furnace looks different to each of yours. But Jesus has not changed. God could have taken us straight from March to April with a paid work opportunity for Sean. But he didn’t. God could have brought work along in May, June, July or August. But he didn’t. God could bring a work opportunity along in September. He hasn’t yet. But we are hopeful and we continue to hold to His goodness, kindness, faithfulness. Knowing that:

“A faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted”.

We can only know that our faith is true and real and solid, when it is tested. Sometimes this testing has to take place in a fire like for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, sometimes in deep waters like for Noah and Moses, and sometimes like Daniel, our faith needs to be tested in a den of lions.

But take heart dear friends, because however and wherever this testing takes place for you or I, Jesus is there! He is in the fire, he is in the water, he is in the lion’s den right alongside us.

There is a song that puts so much of what I have shared into words. The song is called Another in the Fire. I pray that whichever furnace you currently find yourself in, you will listen to it, let the words wash over you, let the truth of them go deep into your hearts and rejoice in the truth that you are never ever alone: 

There was another in the fire

Standing next to me

There was another in the waters

Holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

Of how I’ve been set free

There is a cross that bears the burden

Where another died for me.

* Footnote: Despite not adding this part to my talk on Sunday, I feel it would be amiss of me not to mention the incredible love, support, generosity, prayers, check ins etc. that we have received over these months. Family and friends have shown what it means to be love in action and we could honestly not thank you enough. xx

** For anyone interested our church, in the South of Joburg, is called People of The Way 

*** The song above can be found by clicking the link above or here: Another in the Fire