4 August | Teens
«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?”» Daniel 3:24
King Nebuchadnezzar did not like the meaning of the dream he had (which we saw in the previous devotional), and as he did not want it to come true, he ordered them to build an entire statue of gold (in the dream only the head was made of gold and represented his kingdom). He told everyone to worship the statue to the sound of a special song. But Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah heard the sound, and guess what? They did not bow down! Because of this, they were thrown into a super-hot furnace. But, believe me, they did not get burned! The king was astonished when he looked at the scene, because he saw one more person inside with them, protecting them from the flames! It was Jesus Himself! Jesus saved them from death!
This incredible story reminds us of a promise of God in Isaiah 43:2: “ When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.” This means that in many situations, God does not deliver us from the furnace, He delivers us in the furnace!
Take Action
With the help of an adult, do a safe test with fire to understand this protection. Light a candle and see how the flame behaves, always carefully. Then write down something that worries you or a challenge you face on a piece of paper. Burn this paper in the candle flame (with adult supervision), symbolizing that you are handing over this problem to God to take care of. Remember, just as He did with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, God wants to be by your side at all times!