As I sit to write, I’m very aware that I haven’t blogged since Easter.
In fact, as I look back over my 2026 folder, I realise – somewhat uncomfortably – that I’ve written only four posts this year, and just two in my current series on the 11 Ministry Values I believe are essential for leading us forward as a Movement. Somewhere after Value #6 (Informed to Encourage Action), things stalled.
Not for lack of desire.
Not for lack of conviction.
And certainly not because the content no longer matters.
Quite simply – life got difficult.
Over the past couple of months, BB commitments, work, family, and church life have all competed for time, energy, and attention. I tried to push back—setting reminders, blocking out time, even inviting a bit more persistence from Cathy’s “gentle encouragement”—but still, the space to write kept slipping away.
And if I’m honest, it left me feeling stuck. Like I was wading through quicksand—unable to move forward, unsure how to regain momentum, and carrying a growing sense of frustration.
Have you been there?
As leaders, we all experience seasons like this. Times where the load feels heavier, the clarity fades, and what once felt manageable suddenly feels overwhelming.
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A STORY FOR DIFFICULT SEASONS
Amidst this season, I’ve found myself returning often to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. Three young leaders, serving faithfully in a foreign land, suddenly faced with an impossible choice: compromise their convictions or face the consequences.
They chose faithfulness.
And as a result, they found themselves in a situation far more extreme than anything we will likely face – thrown into a furnace so hot it killed the soldiers who put them there.
Yet what stands out isn’t just the miracle – it’s what their response teaches us about leadership when life gets difficult.
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FAITH IS BUILT BEFORE THE FIRE
One of the clearest lessons from this account is this: Faith isn’t created in the crisis – it’s revealed in it.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t suddenly become brave in front of the king. Their confidence came from a relationship with God they had already built. We see the same pattern in David. His confidence before Goliath wasn’t sudden—it was built through previous experiences of God’s faithfulness.
For us as leaders, this is a critical reminder: What you build in private, shapes how you stand in pressure. You don’t wait for a big test to start trusting God – you start now.
GOD’S PRESENCE CHANGES THE FIRE
One of the most confronting aspects of this story is that God didn’t stop the fire. Let that sink in. The challenge still came. The pressure was real. The furnace was unavoidable. But they were not alone.
When the king looked into the furnace, he expected to see three men dying. Instead, he saw four men walking around – free and unharmed. That’s the difference God makes. The Bible doesn’t promise that life will be easy. It doesn’t say we’ll avoid hard times.
God doesn’t remove the difficulty: He met us in it.
Psalm 23 says: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.”
Not around it … Not away from it … Through it.
Difficult seasons don’t disappear just because we’re faithful. But they are transformed when we recognise that we are not carrying them alone. Peace doesn’t come from everything going right. It comes from knowing God is with you – right in the middle of it.
THE FIRE DIDN’T EVEN LEAVE A MARK
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the furnace, there was no damage. No burns. Not even the smell of smoke. But one thing had changed. The ropes that had bound them were gone. What was intended to destroy them had actually freed them!
This is often how God works in difficult seasons. He doesn’t waste them – He uses them.
Challenges expose what lies beneath the surface:
- Where we’ve relied on our own strength
- Where our trust needs to deepen
- Where growth is required
And, if we allow it, they also shape us:
- Building resilience
- Growing humility
- Strengthening dependence on Him
The fire didn’t harm us – it transformed us. We don’t seek out difficulty – but we have to recognise that it often produces our greatest growth
FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren’t sustained because they were extraordinary – they were sustained because they trusted an extraordinary God. And that same God walks with you.
When life gets difficult:
You are not alone.
You are not carrying this on your own.
And you are not without support.
You are not stuck—you are moving through.
And God is with you every step of the way.
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I pray this is both an encouragement and a challenge to you, as it has been to me.
I’m looking forward to sharing again soon and returning to unpacking the remaining Ministry Values – there is still much for us to lean into as we continue leading forward together.
JASON KNIGHT
President, The Boys’ Brigade Queensland