Thought for the Month – September 2014

Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Daniel 3:25

Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed there was no way out?

In Daniel chapter three, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in such a situation. King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a burning fiery furnace, and it was there that they were supposed to die. But a miracle took place. The LORD joined them in the fire, and they were delivered! They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Many preachers will tell you that, as a child of God, you can expect the same kind of deliverance in times of trouble, but honestly, it is not that simple. He will not deliver just anybody. There was a reason God delivered these three young men — they had refused to bow down to the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up! Even though it meant certain death, they would not bow! They told the king that he could throw them into the fiery furnace if he wanted to, but that if he did, God would deliver them! And the part I love the most is, they said that even if God chose not to deliver them, they still weren’t going to dishonor their God by bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol!

They were faithful to God under pressure, and their faith was great — and that’s why God delivered them. Not all of God’s people are like that. I believe there are plenty of God’s people out there who would be willing to bow down to the king’s golden image. As a matter of fact, I see it all the time. The spirit of the age can be overpowering. God’s people are constantly being pressured to fall in line and go with the flow. There is always less friction for those who go with the flow. But at what cost?

When you are faced with challenging circumstances, are you going to fall in line and go with the flow, or are you going to honor God?

I exhort you to determine in your heart right now that, no matter what challenges you may face, you will honor the Lord your God in all that you say, think and do! If you are that kind of Christian, you can be sure that the same One who brought those faithful young men out of the fiery furnace unscathed will also bring you through your fiery trial!