Sometimes when we are going through testing of faith it helps to look at those who have gone through the fires of testing ahead of us and have come out victorious.
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king. "O Nebuchadnezzar we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. And he will rescue us from your hand, O King, but even if he does not, we want you to know, O King that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 NIV..
THE IDOL
The king had set up an idolatrous image and required all to bow down to it. Any refusal was punished by being thrown into the blazing furnace, but the three faithful Hebrews refused to violate the first commandment. What they responded to the king has been instruction to all generations since.
THEIR FAITH
They had unwavering faith in the power of God. They said, "The God we serve is able to save us." No matter what we face God is able to save us from disaster. To them, God is bigger than any problem, bigger than the furnace the idol, and the king. We often think our problem is bigger than our God.
They were confident that God would save them; they said, "He will rescue us." The three had no doubts about God's love and purpose for them. We fail in trials because we feel we are not loved by God or that we have forfeited His love somehow but that is an error. God loved us so much he gave His son, everything else is a minor footnote compared to that.
THEIR OBEDIENCE
They were willing to accept whatever God did. Bowing to the sovereign will of God they said, "But even if he does not..." We today want God our way and we want victory our way. We want to define the victory- often in terms of pride and physical gratification. To be over-comers in trials we need to accept God's terms and not make the mistake of dictating to God.
THEIR RESOLVE
They were not willing to compromise. "We will not serve your Gods..." The king did not ask them to do much- only to bow, the king could have asked for a lot more like some elaborate ceremony. These three, (like Christians centuries later who chose death rather than to offer a pinch of incense to the idol of the emperor), refused to make even the slightest compromise in their obedience to God. Today we live in a generation of compromise. We must learn the uncompromising faith of the three Faithful Hebrews. To them, death was preferable to even the slightest concession. To compromise does not get us victory in the trial, but a greater defeat.
To find out how you can personally know the God of Victory follow this link: click here.
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king. "O Nebuchadnezzar we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. And he will rescue us from your hand, O King, but even if he does not, we want you to know, O King that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 NIV..
THE IDOL
The king had set up an idolatrous image and required all to bow down to it. Any refusal was punished by being thrown into the blazing furnace, but the three faithful Hebrews refused to violate the first commandment. What they responded to the king has been instruction to all generations since.
THEIR FAITH
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| "We will not worship the image..." |
They were confident that God would save them; they said, "He will rescue us." The three had no doubts about God's love and purpose for them. We fail in trials because we feel we are not loved by God or that we have forfeited His love somehow but that is an error. God loved us so much he gave His son, everything else is a minor footnote compared to that.
THEIR OBEDIENCE
They were willing to accept whatever God did. Bowing to the sovereign will of God they said, "But even if he does not..." We today want God our way and we want victory our way. We want to define the victory- often in terms of pride and physical gratification. To be over-comers in trials we need to accept God's terms and not make the mistake of dictating to God.
THEIR RESOLVE
They were not willing to compromise. "We will not serve your Gods..." The king did not ask them to do much- only to bow, the king could have asked for a lot more like some elaborate ceremony. These three, (like Christians centuries later who chose death rather than to offer a pinch of incense to the idol of the emperor), refused to make even the slightest compromise in their obedience to God. Today we live in a generation of compromise. We must learn the uncompromising faith of the three Faithful Hebrews. To them, death was preferable to even the slightest concession. To compromise does not get us victory in the trial, but a greater defeat.
To find out how you can personally know the God of Victory follow this link: click here.
