The Fire Had No Power Over Their Bodies

“The fire had not any power over the bodies of those men” (Daniel 3:27). These are the words spoken of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego while in the fiery furnace. It is a common truth; fire has power over bodies when the two come into contact, but not so in this case. The fire could not even singe their hair or burn their clothes. Unlike when you spend time near a campfire, they did not even have the smell of smoke on them. This event teaches us many things, but here are four encouragements to keep in mind.

1. God is sovereign over the laws of nature. Contrary to what many people think, God not only created the laws of nature, but he can also alter them at any time. He can walk on water, heal the sick, and raise the dead. There is nothing our God cannot do, so never assume there is no way of escape simply because the ordinary workings of nature are against you.

2. The weapons formed against us have no power unless the Lord allows them to, and if the Lord permits the enemy’s plans to touch us, he is accomplishing a greater good. This truth means even when the weapons against us accomplish their purpose, they still cannot prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

3. When Christ is with us, we are safe no matter the situation. It is better to be in a fiery furnace with Jesus than to be a king with absolute power having his every desire fulfilled, but without Christ. There is no situation so dangerous that we will be unsafe if Jesus is with us, and he has promised to be with us even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

4. The fires of hell are powerless against those in Christ because Jesus has already extinguished its fury for us. He took the wrath of God in our place and rose in power. We may face the fires of this life, but the fires of the wrath of God will never touch us. It has no power over our bodies or souls, and not even the smell of it will be able to cling to us. Death has lost its sting (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

-D. Eaton