Another in the Fire

There are times when life seems overwhelming (hello COVID world). The perfect storm crashes in on us. It is during these seasons that I tend to become self- reliant. Self-reliance, for me, means a greater need to control things. When I feel life spinning out of control, I reach for control in any way I can. This is why the lyrics to this song speek so deeply to me. God is the one I want in control, not me.

Here is part of the chorus to 'Another in the Fire' by Hillsong United.

"There is another in the fire
Standing next to me
There is another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
What power set me free
There is a grave that holds no body
And now that power lives in me"

There are so many Biblical references within the lyrics of that song. One is the story in the book of Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar threw three guys; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire for not worshiping the golden image that the King had set up.

The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into 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…They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was NO smell of fire on them. -Daniel 3: 22-27

I love that! The King turned up the fire so hot that the soldiers who took them to the fire were killed immediately. They died just standing NEAR the fire. Then, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego get thrown directly INTO the fire, and they are not harmed? Only God, am I right?

These men were not alone and neither are we. If the fires in our lives are being cranked up, if things that were certain seem uncertain, if places that were comfortable are suddenly uncomfortable, we are NOT alone in it. 

The last verse and chorus to that song are…

"There is no other name
But the Name that is Jesus
He who was and still is
And will be through it all
So come what may in the space between
All the things unseen and this reckoning
I know I will never be alone
There’ll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There’ll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You’ve been to me
I’ll count the joy come every battle
‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be"

How can we navigate our battles knowing that God is with us? For me, it helps to know that even though something took me by surprise, it wasn’t a surprise to God. God always provides.

There is another standing in the fire with us. Jesus. He will never leave us. We are not alone. We don’t have to control everything or have everything figured out, we can lean on Him during the trials (and fires) of life, and maintain a place of peace in the middle of it all.

My family loves to sit by the fire in our backyard. When we are finished and go inside, we all take showers because just sitting by the fire, our hair and clothes smell like smoke. We hate going to bed smelling like smoke. There was NO smell of smoke on them in Daniel 3:27. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego got out of that fire without a hair on their head burned, their robes intact, and they did not even smell like smoke! God is faithful.

Whatever fire we are facing, may we have peace knowing that we are not alone. May we come out of this fire without smelling like smoke, with no evidence of the trial except for a deeper trust and awareness of His presence than we ever had before!