19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. Dan 3:19, 24-26 (NKJV)
Nebuchadnezzar made good on his threat and threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego into a fiery furnace. The three Hebrew teens had taken a stand and were now living with the consequences of that decision. Make no mistake about it, nonconformity comes at a price, and the outcome of taking a stand may not always what we might wish for. That said, I believe that when I take a stand, God is standing with me. In the words of Job,"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
In the case of the three Hebrew teens, God directly intervened. There in the midst of a fiery furnace (that was so hot that it killed the guards that tossed the teens in) a fourth person joined them. This being looked like the Son of God and all four of the persons in the furnace were not harmed by the heat nor the flames. King Nebuchadnezzar really had no choice, but to recognize that he was witnessing a miracle. He called out, "Servants of the Most High God, come out..."
What can we learn from this story? That in the toughest moments of life--God is with us! That we need to stand by our principles--stand on the Word of God--and stand for what is right, regardless of the consequences. That God's power is often released when we put our faith in Him and step out on the basis of that faith. Last, but not least, we cannot make compromises with evil. We need to fight the good fight and have the courage to defy the enemy.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I know that I have often found myself living a lifestyle of compromises. And often, I was completely unaware of the compromises that I had made to fit-in and to be anonymous. But, I would ask that You would give me the courage to stand when others are bowing down. May I be faithful and truth--an enemy of all that is evil. With Your help, wisdom and strength, I intend to stand for You. Amen"
Nebuchadnezzar made good on his threat and threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego into a fiery furnace. The three Hebrew teens had taken a stand and were now living with the consequences of that decision. Make no mistake about it, nonconformity comes at a price, and the outcome of taking a stand may not always what we might wish for. That said, I believe that when I take a stand, God is standing with me. In the words of Job,"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
What can we learn from this story? That in the toughest moments of life--God is with us! That we need to stand by our principles--stand on the Word of God--and stand for what is right, regardless of the consequences. That God's power is often released when we put our faith in Him and step out on the basis of that faith. Last, but not least, we cannot make compromises with evil. We need to fight the good fight and have the courage to defy the enemy.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I know that I have often found myself living a lifestyle of compromises. And often, I was completely unaware of the compromises that I had made to fit-in and to be anonymous. But, I would ask that You would give me the courage to stand when others are bowing down. May I be faithful and truth--an enemy of all that is evil. With Your help, wisdom and strength, I intend to stand for You. Amen"
No comments:
Post a Comment