When I was young, I used to go and visit my grandmother, who was a potter. She would let me pick out a ceramic piece to paint. When I had finished painting, my grandmother would put the piece into the incred- ibly hot kiln, then take it out and put a protective glaze on it before firing it again. This glaze would bring out the colour, making the crea- tion shiny and more durable. The ceramic pieces always looked more brilliant after having gone through the

firing process.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a fire for being faithful to God by refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, they had no certainty that God would save them. Yet, while peering into the flames, the king was astonished that they appeared to be unharmed, and with them was a fourth person who had a divine appearance.

Intense suffering can leave its mark on us. God does not

promise to keep us from the fiery furnace, but he is with us in it. And like a ceramic piece that becomes even more beautiful after having been through the kiln, God can take the most intense moments in our lives and form us into something different, too –something more beautiful, more dur- able and more like Christ.

Prayer: Dear Lord, in moments of suffering, grant us peace as we seek to be transformed into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen