The Bible tells us that three friends of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace and emerged so unscathed « that they did not even smell the fire ».
King Nebuchadnezzar was surprised to see that there were four people in the furnace even though they had only thrown three people into it! He said:
« Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. »(Daniel 3:25)
It is written that « the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. »(Daniel 3:27)
If they came out of this fiery furnace without the smell of fire, it is because God was with them in the fire and had protected them from the impact of this fiery trial.
Indeed, each ordeal we go through surely has an impact on us and leaves its scent on us.
But if we agree to go through all the trials with Emmanuel (the name of Jesus which means « God with us »), we come out as unscathed and without any smell of the ordeal on us as was the case with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Those who go through trials without Jesus inevitably smell the odor of distrust, fear, hatred, trauma, malice, etc.
However, God can still deliver those who keep the smell of the different trials they have gone through in their lives, by spreading on them the smell of his victory, the smell of his peace, the smell of his love and that of his kindness towards them. (Read 2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
Thus their trial becomes a testimony to the glory of God.
PRAYER:
Lord our God, protect us from the impact of the various trials we are going through.
It is in the precious name of your son Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen.
Apostle Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA