Wednesday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him..." (Daniel 3:95)

Our lives have their ups and their downs, their twists and their turns, and, sometimes, our lives have their "white-hot furnaces." That doesn't sound so great at first, but this is often how God works. God has created times and circumstances in which the darkness or, in this case, the flames have closed us in so tightly that there seems to be no hope. Why does He do this? Why are these three faithful men in a furnace? Why—in just three chapters—do we read about Daniel being sent to the lion's den? It is for God's glory. God is made known through this miracle. He set the stage for all of this to happen like many times before (see Hebrews 11). King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, took four Israelites to join his service, and tried to assimilate them into following Babylonian routines, eating their foods, and, ultimately, worshiping their gods. Three of these Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to worship the statue that the king had made even though they knew they would be sentenced to death. Still they trusted God to deliver them. Even when their circumstances presented no hope, still they trusted, and their trusting brought King Nebuchadnezzar, a man who was called "the destroyer of nations," to see and affirm the power of our God. God called these men to trust in Him, and we are called to do the same. Through all of the circumstances God creates in our own lives, whether at work, at home, in relationships, in tragedy, in triumph, in big decisions, in small decisions, we are called to trust so that people will see the surpassing worth of knowing God and so that God will be glorified for His absolutely astonishing power to deliver us in any situation—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness. Help me to trust in You at all times, especially when I am confused and suffering, and help me to know that there is always hope and that You are working all things together for my good.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Tim Nagy, ’15

Scripture

First Reading: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Psalm: Daniel 3:52-56
Gospel: John 8:31-42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website