Coffee Shop Devos

Posted: February 1, 2010

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." - Daniel 3:16-18

Deliverance through Faith

Trust God!

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" ( Dan. 3:17-18).

It is our faith that sometimes leads us into the fires of affliction and tribulation. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego may be a story from the din past, but it is as relevant as tomorrow's sunrise. As long as the anti-Christians oppose the work of the Lord and put pressure on the servants of the Lord to worship other gods, this story will speak its message afresh and encourage the Lord's people to stand strong amidst the pressures of this world.

King Nebuchadnezzar:

In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar comes across as a strange character. I would think that he should have learned his lesson from two previous encounters with Daniel, especially since king proclaimed to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries"(Daniel 2:47). 

It is in the wake of this proclamation that Nebuchadnezzar demands worship of the golden image, made ninety feet high and nine feet wide and set it up in the plain of Dura. What a reminder to us all not to forget all the Lord has shown us and done! 

Upon completion of the image, Nebuchadnezzer gave orders to all his officers to come together to dedicate his statue. When the music started, everyone was called to bow down and worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar had established. If anyone refused to bow down and worship the image, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. 

Verse 47 of Chapter 3 reads: "Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn... all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image." 

Ah, but as the famous radio personality, Paul Harvey, would say, "Now its time for the REST of the story..."

The Three Friends:

Daniel's three friends who remained faithful to their God in a foreign land, faced the choice: What will they do now? I am sure they did not debate, or discuss long about this subject.  As far as these three friends were concerned, there is no question where their loyalty was. I have heard people say to me several times; Bro. Samuel, "you can cut me and I will bleed loyal." But when I hear such statements, I think of these three friends of Daniel. These men served God out of a willing heart and not from any compulsion. They served the Lord will a good spirit, and also with firm conviction. They refused to honor the king's request and instead trusted in their God to save.

Many Christians are discriminated and physically tortured in different parts of the world. Regardless of our situation in life, we always have our fiery furnaces.

But thank God for the faith that we have in Him, that is able to triumph over every difficulty and trial. I am reminded what was said about Moses, that he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin"(Hebrews 11:25). Why you say? The Scripture says that "he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. His faith caused the exiles to rise above the fear of their fiery furnace.

Today in the ministry of Hopegivers we have had over 19 martyrs for Christ. This brothers and sisters is the only secret for the number of churches in our fellowship today.

The blood of martyrs are the seeds of new churches.

I am reminded what Job said, "though he slay me, yet I will trust in him" (Job 13:15). Possessing clear insight into God's truth, that the voice of His call must be obeyed, will lead one to defy every combination of opposing forces.

DELIVERANCE

The story reaches the climax when people saw four people, rather than the three that were thrown in, walking around IN THE FURNACE! The fourth was said to be "like a son of the gods." Reading the story from this side of the cross of Calvary, we have no problem identifying the Man accompanying the three friends; He is Christ Jesus the Lord!

Amazed by the deliverance, it was followed by a royal decree from the king:

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants, who trusted in Him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way." - Daniel 3:28-29

Praise God! He certainly protects his own and turns the wrath of sin to his glory. Only faith in God allowed these men to stand amidst the trial without fear. "Faith is not trying to believe in spite of the evidence; it is daring to do in spite of the consequences."

I want to encourage you, and me, today, by saying that God never forsakes his faithful followers. We need to rest our head on three pillows- Infinite power, Infinite wisdom, and Infinite love.

Trust God always and do what is right. He will never leave one of his loved ones, nor force them to walk alone. He will walk in the midst of the fire with us!

"He walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own."

 Our Hope is in Him!

Bro. Samuel Thomas

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