When I was 9 or 10, I participated in Royal Rangers (a church-based Boy Scouts type thing).
They taught us how to tie knots and light fires and use knives.
One thing excluded in the curriculum—a class on explosives. That was probably for the best.
True story: One of our Royal Ranger Commanders was missing a hand and had a metal claw in its place.
He left a vivid impression on our young minds as he taught knife safety.
Occasionally we would have Royal Ranger camp-outs.
After two or three days of non-stop camp fires and no bathrooms or showers, we’d come home stinking.
My mom would always complain about it—one bath couldn’t get the smell of smoke out of my skin.
On one particular camp-out, my friend Johnny brought a pound of bacon.
That seemed like a lot for one kid.
Johnny pulled the package out of his backpack and asked us if we’d ever tried raw bacon.
My face did a “Mr Yuk” and I said, “Ewww. Nasty. You’re not supposed to do that. It will give you worms or something.”
I thought Johnny was just bluffing. He wasn’t. He opened the package, pulled off a piece of bacon, and ate it.
By the end of that day, Johnny had eaten the entire pound of bacon. Raw.
On our camp-out, we all stunk like campfire smoke…
But Johnny smelled even stronger—like bacon.
A week later, I saw Johnny at church. I wondered if he still smelled like bacon.
I grabbed his hand, held it up to my nose… and sure enough, he did. Johnny still smelled like raw bacon.
Whenever I think of those camp-outs and Johnny’s thing for raw bacon, it amazes me that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made it out of the fiery furnace like this…
“Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched—they didn’t even smell of smoke!” (Daniel 3.27 NLT)
Incredible.
Every one of those things happened to me on a Royal Ranger camp-out!
My hair—singed. My clothing—scorched. And I reeked like smoke for days.
Yet these three young men made it through a profoundly difficult, painful, scary experience… without being scarred, scorched, or even smelling like it.
I think how they went into the flames was significant to how they came out of the flames.
Just before going into the fiery furnace, they said…
“The GOD whom we serve IS ABLE to save us. He will rescue us from your power. But EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue…” (Daniel 3.17 18)
This is huge.
They went into the flames saying, “Our God is able to get us out of this—but even if he doesn’t, we’re good.”
I love this.
They trusted God and they didn’t box God in. They were OK letting God be God.
They hoped for a good outcome, but were willing to accept whatever God would do.
This, in my opinion, is key for us today—if we’re going to make it through the difficult, the painful, and the scary without being scarred, scorched, or even smelling like it.
I want to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
I want to say confidently, “My God is able to get me out of this—but even if he doesn’t, I’m good.”
I’ve smelled like campfires before.
My friend Johnny smelled like raw bacon for at least a week…
And I’ve known many people who smell like resentment, bitterness, hurt, and anger for decades because of what they’ve been through.
It’s sad.
They’re not in the fire anymore, but they still smell like it.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is, we will all go through some fires…
But how we go into the flames is significant to how we come out of those flames.
Next time you’re feeling the fire, say:
God, you’re able to get me out of this—but even if you don’t, I’m good.
I trust You and I’m not gonna box You in.
I’m OK letting You be God.
I’m hoping for a good outcome, but I’m willing to accept whatever You do.
