This morning before I went to the doctor's office I decided to read my Bible. I haven't really just sat down to read it, outside of church, for about a week or two. Just I haven't "had time" because I've been busy doing homework and focusing on school to make sure I get everything done in time for graduation.
So as I was reading my Bible I came across Daniel in the Old Testament. I started from the beginning and got about half way through the entire chapter. So many miracles occurred throughout this book.
There was one specifically that stood out to me. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were put under the rule of king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. All four of them were given much authority in his Kingdom. This King became a powerful king because God had allowed it to be so. King Nebuchadnezzar made a decree saying that everyone in his kingdom must fall down on their knees and face and worship a gold statue when they hear all kinds of music. The punishment for disobeying this decree is being thrown into a blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were brought before the king for not following this decree. The king gave them one last chance to worship the image he made or they will be thrown into the blazing furnace. They responded by saying that God would save them from the furnace if they were thrown into it. Also, if God didn't rescue them then they still wouldn't worship the gold idol. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound and thrown into the furnace.
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not burning or dying. He opened the furnace and demanded that they came back out. God had sent an angel to rescue them from the fire. Then the King said "No other God can save this way," so he promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and gave themhigh ranking positions in his kingdom.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego trusted in God eve when they were faced with death. They had faith that the Lord wouldn't let them perish in the fire. If He didn't save them, they would rather die than deny God and worship an idol. They remained faithful no matter what happened to them. They were thrown into the fire but God rescued them because of the faith they had in Him. Because they believed He could do anything, God sent them an angel that kept them from burning. They didn't even smell like fire when they left the furnace. In the end, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were blessed because of their faith. They didn't falter in the hard times because they believed God would see them through until the end.
Imagine if we all had this kind of faith. That AP exam wouldn't seem like such a big deal. Dealing with things would be so much easier. You would believe that God can pull you through ANYTHING. As a Christian, it is okay to be afraid of things and their outcomes at first. But we should be strong and put our faith in the Lord knowing that, ultimately, He is in control. No matter what, if you have faith then you know that God will never leave you. Even if He seems like He isn't there, have faith that He's looking over you and this hard time will pass. With faith you know it'll end soon. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God won't let you perish in the fire you're thrown in. If you have faith, He will send you an angel to rescue you and it'll be okay in the end.
My question for you: What do you put YOUR faith in?
No comments:
Post a Comment