5TH WEEK OF LENT

I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God. 

Do you have any furnaces in your life? Not the literal, helpful kind that warms your home in the winter, but the figurative, destructive kind that burns everything around you. These “furnaces” could be tragedies, trials, or challenges in your life—anything that requires an extraordinary amount of strength to overcome or endure.

Well, today’s first reading assures us that no matter how hard the task before us may be, God will be with us. He can give us the strength and courage to face those flames and to come out even stronger than before.

For some of us, just getting out of bed each day can be a “furnace” experience. People who live with depression and anxiety might live in dread of each morning and the uncertainties of the day ahead. People struggling with a terminal disease might resent the dawn of another day of pain. But even in these situations, if we call out to the Lord, he can wrap us in his love, calm our fears, and give us courage we never knew we had.

For others of us, a wounded relationship can feel like a furnace that burns away the peace and security we once found in that other person’s friendship. But God is in the midst of those flames as well, offering us his healing love and helping us decide when and how to seek reconciliation.

Identifying and stopping sinful patterns of behavior can also be hard as the flames of temptation draw closer and closer. But God is even there, standing right beside us as those foul thoughts and desires flare up. They can’t chase him away; he is always ready to give us his strength and determination to keep fighting.

God never promised that life would be easy, but he did promise that he would be there in the fire to help us. Always remember that when you are faced with a difficult decision or a fiery situation. He will give you the courage to move forward in faith. He will be right there to support you and sustain you.

“Jesus, help me to stand tall and confident in the midst of whatever flames come to threaten me today. Lord, I trust that you are standing next to me!”

(Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56
John 8:31-42
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

WORD AMONG US