So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. 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 3:26-27)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in big trouble with King Nebuchadnezzar. They refused to worship the king’s gods. They could have remained comfortable and avoided the conflict, but that would have meant compromising their faith. So they “replied” to the king (not yelled, screamed, or ranted): “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.” (Daniel 3:16)

They got thrown into a furnace. They were definitely out of their comfort zones then…or were they? There’s a difference between being comfortable in your own comfort and being comfortable in God’s comfort. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego rested in their faith and went through the furnace together.

The soldiers who took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the furnace died from the heat, yet these three men who trusted God’s will and walked through it together, came out alive. Not only were they alive, but there was no smell of fire on them.

Don’t let your own discomfort get in the way of your spiritual growth. God will use refining fire to destroy the parts of you that are coming between you and Him. He’s purifying you, and while it’s a frightening process, it’s essential for your thriving relationship with Him.

You can rest in God’s will and find comfort through changes, challenges, and uncertainty. You can come through the fire with no smell of fire.

How much time do you spend on the spiritual couch and how much time do you feel the refining fire?