# Faith Before, In and After the Fire *Published 2026-10-19, by Dan Ryland.* > A reflection on Daniel 3, six months of searching for a new contract, and learning to trust God before, during and after a difficult season. - Canonical URL: https://danryland.com/blog/faith-before-in-and-after-the-fire/ - Category: Purpose - Tags: Faith, Trust, Obedience, Provision For six months, I tried to find a new contract. An existing client contract was coming to an end, so I started looking for what would come next. I sent emails. Tailored CVs. Rebuilt portfolios to match particular roles. All the things you're supposed to do. And none of it led to the opportunity I needed. I was praying hard too. Desperately wanting something to come through. As the end of June got closer, the pressure increased. It felt like the temperature was rising. Then someone I'd worked with on my second contract, years earlier, recommended me to his CTO. The CTO messaged me on LinkedIn. We had two conversations. I didn't submit a CV. I didn't present a polished portfolio. And I got the contract. I started a week before the other one ended. Six months of trying to open doors. Then an opportunity arrived through a conversation I hadn't arranged. Looking back, I see God's provision in that. I couldn't have made that old contact recommend me at that particular moment. I couldn't have organised the timing. And I think that experience helps explain something I've been thinking about in the book of Daniel. We talk a lot about faith in the fire. But what about faith before the fire? And what happens to our faith after we come out? ## Before the Fire In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden statue and orders people to worship it. Anyone who refuses will be thrown into a blazing furnace. Three men refuse. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel's mates. Their commitment to God puts them in direct conflict with the king. And the striking thing is that they make their decision before they know how the story will end. They believe God can rescue them. But they also say: > But if not ... we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. _[Daniel 3:18, KJV](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203%3A16-18&version=KJV)_ Even if He doesn't. That's quite a statement. They haven't seen anyone walking around unharmed in the furnace yet. They haven't seen the miracle. They are trusting God while the consequences are still very real. And I think that's where faith often begins. Before you have an explanation that makes sense to everyone else. Before you can point to an outcome and say, "See? That's why I did it." Sometimes following God means taking a path other people don't understand. Doing something that looks strange. Waiting when everyone thinks you should be rushing. Moving when everyone thinks you should stay. Of course, doing something differently doesn't automatically make it obedience. The question is whether we're listening to God. In my contract search, I was doing what I could reasonably do. Preparing. Applying. Having conversations. I still think those were responsible things to do. But the eventual opportunity came through a route I hadn't planned. And that challenged the idea that provision had to arrive through the process I expected. We can become very attached to how we think God should answer. This application. This introduction. This particular door. Meanwhile, God may be working through a relationship established years earlier. Something you aren't even thinking about anymore. **You can take responsibility without being in control of the outcome.** That is a difficult distinction to live with. Especially when you like solving problems. But faith before the fire means learning to trust God before you can explain what He's doing. ## In the Fire: Dependency on God The three men refuse to bow, and the king becomes furious. He orders the furnace heated seven times hotter. They are tied up and thrown in. Then the king sees something he wasn't expecting. Four men. Walking freely in the fire. Unharmed. _[Daniel 3:19–25](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203%3A19-25&version=KJV)_ Many Christians understand the fourth figure as Jesus. Later in the chapter, the king describes God's rescue as sending His angel. What stays with me is God's presence in the place they couldn't survive by themselves. The rescue happens in the fire. And I think that matters when you're praying for a difficult situation to end. Because sometimes the circumstances haven't changed yet. The deadline is still approaching. The answer hasn't arrived. And you have already done everything you can think of doing. During those six months, I couldn't send an email that guaranteed a contract. I couldn't build a portfolio that guaranteed someone would say yes. The closer the end of June came, the more aware I became of what I couldn't control. And I kept praying. I think we sometimes imagine that trusting God should feel calm all the time. Like if our faith were stronger, we wouldn't feel the pressure. But sometimes faith looks like desperately continuing to pray. Coming back to God again. Being honest about how hard it is. "God, I'm finding this really difficult." "I don't know what else to do." "I need You." You can say that to Him. You don't have to tidy it up first. Jesus understands suffering. You can bring Him the fear, the frustration and the questions. And ask the Holy Spirit for comfort. **Dependency on God becomes very practical in the fire.** You keep coming to Him for what you cannot provide for yourself. Enough strength for today. Enough courage for the next conversation. Daily bread. We would often prefer the whole plan. Something we can look at and say, "Right. Now I know how this works out." But there are seasons where we have to keep returning to God for what we need today. And remember those words from before the furnace. Even if. My story ended with a contract arriving at the right time. I'm grateful for that. But I can't promise that every difficult season will end with the outcome we're asking for, on the date we've chosen. The three men trusted God before they knew they would be rescued. Their faith was in His character. And that is where ours has to rest too. ## After the Fire When the three men come out, they are unharmed. They don't even smell of smoke. The king who ordered their punishment praises their God. He acknowledges a rescue he couldn't explain away. _[Daniel 3:26–30](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203%3A26-30&version=KJV)_ And I think there's something for us here too. Someone else may need to hear what God has done in your life. When I tell the story of that contract, I want people to understand more than the fact that I found work. I want them to understand the six months before it. The effort. The prayer. The approaching deadline. And then the message I hadn't arranged. Because without that context, it's easy to turn the story into a neat little account of professional success. I got a new client. Great. But for me, there's something much deeper in it. God provided through something I couldn't make happen. And I want to remember that. I want to be grateful for it. And I want to tell someone who might need encouragement. You don't have to tell everybody everything. Some experiences need time before you're ready to share them. Some details can stay private. But when you are ready, don't underestimate the value of saying, "This was difficult. I prayed. And this is where I saw God at work." Someone reading or listening may be in the middle of their own difficult season. They may have no idea what happens next. Your story could help them keep going. ## After One Fire and In Another These seasons aren't a course we complete once. We don't come out of one difficult experience having mastered trust forever. You can remember God's faithfulness and still find the next uncertainty hard. You can have a story worth sharing and still need someone else's encouragement. And that's why remembering matters. Gratitude gives us somewhere to look when we can't yet see what comes next. It reminds us who we are trusting. So perhaps the question is simply where you find yourself today. Before the fire? Keep listening to God, even when the path He leads you on looks unfamiliar. In the fire? Tell Him how hard it is. Ask for what you need today. Let other people pray with you too. After the fire? Take a moment to remember. Thank Him. And, when you're ready, tell someone. You never know who needs to hear it.
Reflection Questions ## Discuss For personal reflection, small groups or Christian Union discussions - Which season do you recognise most in your life right now: before, in or after the fire? - Where might your expectations about how God should answer be making it harder to trust Him? - What can you take responsibility for today, and what outcome do you need to entrust to God? - What would an honest conversation with God sound like for you this week? - Is there an experience of God's faithfulness you could give thanks for or share with someone who needs encouragement? Take a moment to write something down, pray, or talk with someone you trust. --- - Home: https://danryland.com/ - About: https://danryland.com/about/ - Contact: https://danryland.com/contact/ - Privacy: https://danryland.com/privacy/ - The Forge (weekly note): https://danryland.com/forge/ - Agent overview: https://danryland.com/llms.txt - Sitemap: https://danryland.com/sitemap.xml - RSS: https://danryland.com/rss.xml - Email: dan@ryland.consulting