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.” (Daniel 3: 24-25)

When commanded to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, three Hebrew men refused to bow. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could not bow because they knew the true and living God. They refused to bow because they were witnesses of the true and living God. They refused to bow because they were servants of the true and living God.

However, it was not until they were actually in the fiery furnace that they saw a revelation of the God whom they had been serving. After they were condemned, after they were bound, after they were thrown in the fire, there appeared in the midst of the fire the sight of one who looked like the Son of God. This manifestation was so plain that even Nebuchadnezzar saw him.

Of course, no one in their right mind would seek to simmer in a fiery furnace. But, what if you found out that there are some revelations that can only be seen in the reflection of the flames of that fire? Often, it is in the fire of adversity and because of the fire difficulty that we see God most and best. In fact, it could very well be argued that you don’t really know God until you have seen Him with you in the fire.