Suffering: Devastation, Like Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
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.
Daniel 3:14-19 (NKJV)
Possibly, you've faced a fiery furnace. Nothing I've felt was that degree of burn.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, the boys brought to Babylon with Daniel, came face-to-face with their own destruction.
When they refused bow to his idol, King Nebuchadnezzar's fury got lit. So his guards threw them in a great oven, heated seven times hotter than normal.
Yet in a spectacular miracle, the king saw Jesus standing in their midst. In other words, God took the heat for them, as He would later take the heat for us.
The three boys emerged from the fire unscathed. Their no-matter-what courage under fire… has inspired millions for thousands of years.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Some of you have survived devastation. Perhaps, you've remained private about it.
I’m awed by your push-through to move beyond, but how you've pressed forward needs to be heard. The Father Who always stood beside you and the King (Who felt your pain) should be praised.
Your overcoming stories can help those who haven’t yet moved beyond their past pain. Surely, the Savior Who delivered you wants to deliver so many others. But…
How can hurt people know He's standing by... if you don't share your own fiery trials?
Suffering: Devastation, Like Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego (Part 46)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!