Held in the Fire, Kept in the Journey
Not held by balance, but by the hand beneath—God’s grace carries what we cannot.
📚 Devotional Credit:
Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
📸 Photo Credit:
Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Bob Hoekstra brings us back to a familiar story—the fiery furnace—but not just for its dramatic deliverance. What stands out more deeply is what it tells us about God’s ability. Not only is He able to deliver in the most intense moments of crisis (as with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego), but He is also able to keep us from stumbling in the quieter, longer, wearier stretches of our journey, as Jude reminds us.
These two verses—one from Daniel, one from Jude—bracket the Christian walk beautifully. One shouts God’s power in crisis; the other whispers His faithfulness in the ordinary. The same God who stood in the flames with three young men also walks alongside us today, not only forgiving when we fail, but also keeping us upright when we depend on Him instead of ourselves.
And it is not just about surviving fire or avoiding failure. Jude says He will present us faultless with exceeding joy. That’s not just barely making it into heaven—it’s arriving radiant, whole, and rejoiced over. When we trust in His promises and His grace, we experience a deliverance greater than rescue from a furnace: we are kept, we are lifted, and we are transformed.
When we remember what God is able to do—not only in others’ lives, but in ours—we start walking with confidence in His grace. Every promise rests on this foundation: our God is able.
📓 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
I never leave your side—not in the furnace and not in the quiet places where stumbling seems so easy. I am the One who stood with the faithful in the fire, and I am the One who now lives within you. I have not changed. My arm has not grown short. My presence has not diminished. My promises are not fragile.
Let Me remind you: I am able to deliver. But even more, I am able to keep you—when your footing wavers, when fear whispers, when self-effort exhausts you. I carry you not only through visible danger but through subtle temptation. You are not holding yourself up. I am holding you.
I will present you faultless. My Son’s blood has washed you. My Spirit now shapes you. When the accuser points to your faults, I point to the Cross. And when you look to Me with childlike trust, My joy in you is complete.
So walk with Me—eyes up, heart open. Trust My ability more than your limitations. I do not require your strength; I simply ask your yielding.
(Scripture references: Daniel 3:17–25; Jude 1:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:1–2; Hebrews 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 37:23–24; John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 3:20; Romans 16:25)
🪞Real-Life Analogy:
It’s like a hand beneath a tray of teacups. The person carrying the tray may tremble slightly or step unevenly, but the hand beneath it holds steady. The cups don’t fall because something stronger is beneath them—quiet, constant, unseen. They’re held, not by their own balance, but by the one who carries them.
That’s how we walk. When stress rises at work, or when you feel the old temptation circling back, or even when you’re just tired and unsure—you don’t need to hold yourself together. You are held. Instead of mustering willpower, simply yield to the One who keeps you. You might say, “Lord, You’re able to keep me from stumbling in this very moment. I trust You to be my steadiness right now.” And then rest—not in your performance, but in His presence.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Father, I thank You that I am not asked to walk this life alone or upright on my own merit. You are the One who delivers, who keeps, who carries, and who presents me faultless. I am grateful that the weight of my Christian life is not on my shoulders, but rests on Your unfailing promises. In You, I am safe in the fire and steady on the path. Thank You for joyfully making me whole and for delighting to complete what You began in me. I walk forward today confident not in myself, but in You.