Prayer: We ask You, Lord, for the courage we need to keep on doing the right thing. Please send us joy along our way and a song in our heart. We offer all our work up to You. Amen

Scripture: Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw in the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 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.” Dan. 3:24-25 NIV

It was a dark morning as I trudged through the cold and wet into the middle school where I started my day. I was already spent, and I hadn’t even begun. The “fire” was heated many times hotter this year than most. I had nine more classes a week than I taught last year, and to top it all off, I was taking a graduate course and writing my Masters’ action research final project. My dad had gone through cancer surgery that winter, and my husband’s job and travels were stressing him more than normal. How could I make it any farther?

It was then that the Lord reminded me of the three Hebrew children who had been thrown into a hotter than normal fire, yet visible in the furnace was the Son of God! It was such a comfort to know that He was also with me, and I could trust Him to keep me from harm too. In addition, He would be seen by those watching the fire!

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”*

*From the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation”

Copyright Shirley Wilson.  To connect with the author, email swilson@christianeducators.org

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