Principal's Ponderings

Faith in the Fire

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if He does not, we want you to know… we will not serve your gods.” – Daniel 3:17–18

I remember as a boy hearing this Bible story and being absolutely amazed. I was in primary school when it was told through a musical called It’s Cool in the Furnace. At first, I didn’t even know what a furnace was! But as I learned, I was shocked: You mean people, Christians, were actually put inside a furnace for believing in God? And they didn’t die?

That story stuck with me, because sometimes life itself feels like a furnace.

Pressures rise, uncertainties swirl, and it feels like the heat is turned up in every area, parenting, relationships, work, health, finances. It is in these fiery moments that our faith is both tested and refined. And wonderfully, we are not alone in the flames.

In Daniel 3, we read of three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who stood firm in their faith, refusing to bow to the pressures of their culture. The pressure they faced was clear: worship the golden idol that the king had made. They would not bow to something false. For this, they were sentenced to the furnace. But they were not consumed. Why? Because, as Nebuchadnezzar himself said in Daniel 3:25, there was “a fourth man in the fire… one like a son of the gods.” We know who He was, Jesus was there with them.

This is the limitless power and presence we cling to at Devonport Christian School: Jesus is with us in the fire.

Whether it is a student facing friendship struggles, anxiety, or learning challenges or a parent walking through a difficult season, Jesus steps into the furnace with us when we call on Him and believe. He does not always remove the fire, but He always brings His presence into the heart of it.

We want our students to know that faith isn’t just for the easy times. Hard seasons will come. As parents, it can be difficult to watch our children go through struggles. Recently, two of my children ran fevers above 40 degrees with the illness that has been circulating in our community. I wished I could take it away, but as I couldn’t, I knew we needed to care, support them and they would survive through it. The truth is, my greatest hardships have taught me more than I ever wanted to learn but those lessons shaped my faith. Faith shines brightest in adversity. When our children see us standing firm in hope, even when life is hard, they too learn what real faith looks like.

That is the kind of faith we are growing here, faith that says: “God can rescue me… but even if He doesn’t, I will still trust Him.”

Parents, your trust in Jesus through life’s struggles is one of the most powerful witnesses you can give your children. They notice how you respond to setbacks, how you pray through hardship, and how you lean on God when answers are unclear. Your faith in the fire is planting seeds in their hearts that will sustain them when their own fires come.

James 1:12 reminds us:

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life…”

So this week, if you feel like you are in the fire, take heart. You are not alone. Jesus is with you, and He is using the flames not to destroy you, but to refine you, to draw you closer, to deepen your faith and to reveal His glory through your life.

And if your child is walking through something difficult, gently remind them: Jesus is right there with them too. In the fire. In the storm. In the unknown.

He is our Deliverer, our Peace and our Companion. His presence changes everything.

Standing with you in faith and love,

Chad