Daniel 3:1, 4–6, 8–12, 19–30
There is a moment in the story of the fiery furnace that many of us rush past without stopping long enough to be amazed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the flames, and then suddenly, the king sees something no one expected: A fourth figure, walking with them.
Not removing them. Not extinguishing the fire. But with them, right in the heart of the danger.
That’s the kind of hope this story names, not that God shields us from every flame, but that God walks with us through it.
And here’s the thing: most of the time, God’s presence doesn’t appear as dramatically as it does in Daniel 3. More often, it’s subtle. Hidden. Quiet. A presence that you only recognize in hindsight, long after the intensity has passed. A peace that doesn’t make sense. A moment of courage you didn’t think you had. A person who shows up at just the right time.
This week’s practice is about learning to notice those hidden traces of God, the “fourth figure” who walks with us through the fires we face today.
I invite you to pause each day and look back, gently, at where God might have been walking beside you, not always in obvious miracles, but in the quiet corners of your life.
- Begin by slowing down: Find a moment each day – morning with your coffee, evening before bed, a pause in the middle of the day – and take one deep breath: “In the fire… You are with me.” Let that truth settle.
- Reflect on your day or week: Ask yourself one question: Where might the fourth figure have been with me today? You’re not looking for the dramatic. You’re looking for the subtle. Maybe God’s presence showed up as:
- a sense of calm you didn’t expect
- the right words in a difficult conversation
- someone checking in at exactly the right moment
- a tiny spark of hope when things felt heavy
- the strength to keep going when you felt empty
- laughter that broke through worry
- a shift in perspective, small but freeing
- Let the quiet memories rise.
- Name one “trace of God” Just one. Say it aloud or write it down in a journal. This small act of naming turns hindsight into spiritual sight. Over time, you begin to see a pattern, the pattern of a God who walks with you, even when the flames are hot.
- Offer a simple prayer. Something like: “Thank you for being with me, even when I didn’t see you.” “Show me your presence in the moments ahead.” Keep it honest. Keep it simple.
- Carry the awareness into the day. As you practice noticing, you’ll begin recognizing God’s presence in real time, not just in reflection. Hope grows quietly, like a slow-burning flame that warms instead of consumes.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t walk out of the furnace unscathed because the fire wasn’t real. They walked out whole because God was real within the fire. Hope isn’t denial. Hope is presence. And God’s presence is often closer, quieter, and more faithful than we allow ourselves to imagine.
May this week’s practice help you see the fourth figure in the small, the subtle, the steady grace that has been walking beside you all along.
