"Touching the Nations with practical, biblical truths that will equip and release ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things in their local communities."

The first thing we need to understand as Christians is that trials will come.

1 Peter 1:6-7  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

James 1:2-4  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

John 16:33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

These verses leave us in no doubt that all Christians will face trials but that we can overcome them.

Most of us want to know how long we have to walk through a trial and when the end will come, but the great truth I have discovered is that our breakthrough can come long before the trial is over, and in fact your breakthrough can come right now as you read this. Not because I can wave a magic wand and change everything for you, but because God has provided us with a way forwards in victory.

In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:8-30 we see the answer to every trial. Nebuchadnezzar has built an idol to himself and commands all the people to bow down and worship it, but these three guys refused;

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever!

You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up."

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

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." Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.

And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!

Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this."

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

I love their attitude! I love the fact that they are full of faith that God will deliver them out of the fire but at the same time they refuse to compromise and declare even if God doesn’t save us, He is still God and we will not give up under this pressure. We are so influenced by what we see and we give up so easily when things do not turn out as we would like them too.

The next thing you can see is that God didn’t turn the heat down because the mighty men who took them and threw them into the fire were killed by the ferocious heat. As Christians we are not promised an easy ride and our trials are no less fierce than anyone elses.

But let me ask you “when did the three men experience victory over their circumstances? Was it when they were out of the fire and the whole experience was over and done with, or was it when they realised that Jesus was in the fire with them”?

As soon as you get a revelation of the fact that Jesus is there in the middle of your trial walking with you and that the trial has no power over you, you too can have your moment of breakthrough.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that God knows how we are feeling and He is not some distant being totally removed and remote, He is here with us and is involved in our experiences.

Luke 12:6-7 says God numbers the hairs on our head, He cares for the sparrow and the bible says He cares for you.

Recognise that God is with you, walking alongside you and protecting you in whatever you are going through, and your view of the experience you are facing will suddenly change dramatically without anything in your circumstances having moved at all.

If you need this for yourself then pray this prayer right now;

Father I thank You that You are with me in my trial. I thank You that You care for me and love me passionately and that your plans for me are always good. Please open my spiritual eyes so I can see that I have the Creator of the universe on my side, and that You are protecting me and walking with me throughout this experience. Thank You for loving me so much and thank You for a fresh revelation of that love right now that will help me to realise I am above and not beneath my circumstances.