Scenario B

I am going to the woman's Bible study at church, and we are going through Beth Moore's study on Daniel. Wow, is she good! Anyway, she talks about three different scenarios when people of God face fiery trials.

There is Scenario A where God delivers us from the fire. One example was finding out that the lump you found was cancerous, but when you go back to have it checked again, it has disappeared and you are cancer free. Sometimes we don't even know what trials we have been delivered from. But through Scenario A our faith is built.

Scenario B: We can be delivered through the fire. The 2 examples out of Daniel are that when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went into the furnace, but only their ropes were burnt off their hands and they didn't even smell like smoke when they came out, and when Daniel went into the lions den and he saw an angel close the mouth of the lions and he was not hurt. Through this scenario our faith is refined.

Scenario C: We can be delivered by the fire into his arms. We are with Jesus, and our faith is perfected.

Our human nature always wants Scenario A. It seems like the "easy" way. Well, our God is an amazing God, who has a reason for everything. We are in the middle of Scenario B, and I can say my faith has been refined!!! My fiery trial has been going on for over 5 years and many many times I've prayed for Scenario A to happen, but I'm now at a point where I can look back and see how He has refined me. As Beth Moore said, "fiery trials can burn the fake out of us." I have found myself and who I am in Christ over the past 5 years, where I think I would still be searching, or not nearly as close in my relationship, if Scenario A had happened... or if there wasn't even a Scenario at all!!! Now I am patiently (I've long suffered enough :) ) waiting to be delivered!