Matthew 13:12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Every believer receives divine deposits of faith but our faith will be tested by our faithfulness to our Father in Heaven. Anyone who resists tests and trials will not be able to grow their divine deposits of godliness and reflect Christlikeness in their life. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:7). The fiery furnace is not to destroy us but to refine and redirect us towards our destiny. If our faith is on fire, then the fire in the furnace cannot burn us down. We will come out of the fiery furnace unharmed, unscathed and untouched.
The deposits of faith in the Hebrew captives, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were tested by the autocratic decree of the Babylonian King. They were bound and thrown into the furnace that was seven times hotter, yet it could not destroy their faith that was on fire. Their fiery-faith on the inside was able to quench the flames of the hot furnace on the outside.
It is in the furnace of fire our faith will be tested and proved. Fearful-faith and faint-faith will be burnt to dust but faith-on-fire will boldly declare, “The God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Faith-on-fire in the furnace will bring praise, glory and honour to Christ Jesus.
Faith in the Furnace:
1. Fearful-Faith: ‘Fearful-faith’ will quaver in the trial, compromise and flee from the furnace. Fear will chock faith.
2. Faint-Faith: ‘Faint-faith’ worries, whines and questions God in the furnace.
3. Faith-on-Fire: ‘Faith-on-fire’ will quench the flames of the furnace.
When our faith is on fire, the fire in the furnace will bow and die down.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, let my faith always be on fire to quench the fiery darts of the evil one. Amen.
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