Daniel 3:17-18.
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. . . But even if he does not. . . we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the idol King Nebuchadnezzar had set up for the people to worship. It would have been interesting to listen in on their conversation as they discussed what to do about the king's order in spite of the fact that they could die if they refused to obey it.
Their thoughts probably ran along the same lines ours would have if we had been in their position. One of them probably suggested that they just bow down without letting their minds and spirits enter into worship of the image. Go thru the motions without the feeling. They knew their hearts were pure, even though they had bent their knees in order to preserve their lives.
Another may have suggested that they go on a long vacation trip away from the city until the edict to worship the idol expired. If they did that, they would not have to appear to worship, but could preserve their lives.
A third option involved putting their lives on the line. If they refused to bow down when the signal was given, they knew what would happen. Their actions would be reported to the king immediately and they would end up in the fiery furnace. The temptation to compromise or run away must have been just as intense for them as it would be for us. But, they chose to trust God and stand firm in their refusal to worship any god but him.
Soon after Shadrach and company had made their decision, the signal was given. Immediately, men, women and children fell to their knees to worship this idol, but there were three friends who stood tall and did not bend the knee.
Peer pressure is generally considered to be negative. Growing up, my dad would always advise me about following the crowd, or doing what others do if I didn’t believe in it. But, it also has a positive side. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, peer support helped them stand firm in a life-threatening situation. Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 that it is good to have a friend who will stand with you and help you up when you fall down. Since friends can be so helpful in giving us the backbone we need to make Godly decisions, we should work hard at selecting the very best people to be our companions. We should choose friends who will apply positive peer pressure rather than negative. That’s what the church is for…..the support system that we need when we need to take a stand or make a positive statement for God. Surround yourself with those that are in God’s will for they will provide positive peer pressure.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Christian’s Secret Weapon
1 Samuel 4:7-8
The Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert."
One of the most important reasons for reading the Bible is to learn what God is like. What we know about God’s character, and personality greatly influences how we relate to Him. It determines how much we can trust him to help us when we’re in trouble.
Samuel 4 tells the story of how the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant in a battle against Israel. The Ark represented God's presence and power. The Jews had carried it into the battle for that very reason. After losing the battle the day before, they decided they could only win against this stronger and better-equipped army if God fought for them. When the Philistine army found out that the Ark had arrived in the Jews’ camp, they were terrified. They realized that they would have to battle the God of Israel. This was the same God who had delivered the Jews from Egypt using terrible plagues. They knew they were in deep, deep trouble.
Both Israel and the Philistines knew they same thing about God. They knew about his awesome power. The Philistines understood that they faced an army whose most important weapon was their God. And, Israel knew they could win the battle only if God would use his power to fight for their side.
God’s power has helped Israel miraculously win many battles over the course of history. Once they acknowledge God for who he was and turned from their sin, God would fight the battle and the victory became theirs.
We often battle powerful enemies like fear, depression, sorrow, and peer pressure. These are powerful enemies. How can we possibly win? In the same way the armies of Israel defeated superior powers and weapons. We win by tapping into the power of God who promises to be our Defender. As we admit that we are weak and ask for his help, we release the power that God used to create everything in the universe by just speaking it into existence.
That power is the most important weapon we have in our battle against sin. Let’s do like the Israelites did and ask for God’s presence to help us in our battles. Let's depend on God and not ourselves. Let's understand the power that is behind the name--God. Let's realize that the only power we need is that of the Lord's. Let's admit that we can't do battle by ourselves but that we need the power of God. God is powerful, let's rely on that!
The Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert."
One of the most important reasons for reading the Bible is to learn what God is like. What we know about God’s character, and personality greatly influences how we relate to Him. It determines how much we can trust him to help us when we’re in trouble.
Samuel 4 tells the story of how the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant in a battle against Israel. The Ark represented God's presence and power. The Jews had carried it into the battle for that very reason. After losing the battle the day before, they decided they could only win against this stronger and better-equipped army if God fought for them. When the Philistine army found out that the Ark had arrived in the Jews’ camp, they were terrified. They realized that they would have to battle the God of Israel. This was the same God who had delivered the Jews from Egypt using terrible plagues. They knew they were in deep, deep trouble.
Both Israel and the Philistines knew they same thing about God. They knew about his awesome power. The Philistines understood that they faced an army whose most important weapon was their God. And, Israel knew they could win the battle only if God would use his power to fight for their side.
God’s power has helped Israel miraculously win many battles over the course of history. Once they acknowledge God for who he was and turned from their sin, God would fight the battle and the victory became theirs.
We often battle powerful enemies like fear, depression, sorrow, and peer pressure. These are powerful enemies. How can we possibly win? In the same way the armies of Israel defeated superior powers and weapons. We win by tapping into the power of God who promises to be our Defender. As we admit that we are weak and ask for his help, we release the power that God used to create everything in the universe by just speaking it into existence.
That power is the most important weapon we have in our battle against sin. Let’s do like the Israelites did and ask for God’s presence to help us in our battles. Let's depend on God and not ourselves. Let's understand the power that is behind the name--God. Let's realize that the only power we need is that of the Lord's. Let's admit that we can't do battle by ourselves but that we need the power of God. God is powerful, let's rely on that!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Cry Out to Jesus
O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, 'God will never rescue him!' But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high." Psalm 3:1-3 (NLT)
What do you do when the chips are down? Do you panic? Do you cry? Do you complain? Are you like Elijah and run to a vacant place and grumble to God? If anyone had reason to complain or panic, it was king David. He was fleeing from his son and facing a military crisis. His enemies were increasing to the tens of thousands (see Ps 3:6) and they were actively pursuing him. Did he go into a deep depression? No! He did quite the opposite. Contrary to how we might act in his situation, David confidently cried out to God to help him and he received confidence and peace of mind....David went to sleep, knowing that "the Lord sustains me" (see vs 5). Although his enemies were all around him, and he probably felt there was no way out (think about it: one man vs 10,000), he trusted God as he said: "Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O Lord. May your blessings rest on your people." (vs 7-8).
What do you do when it seems like you are up against the impossible? Where do you go when your enemies come after you (and enemies may not be physical people, but situations)? Who do you turn to when you need help? Only God is our true Protector and Deliverer. If you turn to anything or anyone else other than Him, you are settling for less than the best! Turn to God. Cry out to Him, and He will give you a peace that guards your heart and mind.
One of my favorite songs right now is by Casting Crowns and it is entitled "Cry Out to Jesus". I wanted to share the lyrics with you as maybe you find yourself or somone you know in these types of situations and what we are encouraged to do is cry out to Jesus. Remember, he will lift our head up!
Cry Out To Jesus
What do you do when the chips are down? Do you panic? Do you cry? Do you complain? Are you like Elijah and run to a vacant place and grumble to God? If anyone had reason to complain or panic, it was king David. He was fleeing from his son and facing a military crisis. His enemies were increasing to the tens of thousands (see Ps 3:6) and they were actively pursuing him. Did he go into a deep depression? No! He did quite the opposite. Contrary to how we might act in his situation, David confidently cried out to God to help him and he received confidence and peace of mind....David went to sleep, knowing that "the Lord sustains me" (see vs 5). Although his enemies were all around him, and he probably felt there was no way out (think about it: one man vs 10,000), he trusted God as he said: "Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O Lord. May your blessings rest on your people." (vs 7-8).
What do you do when it seems like you are up against the impossible? Where do you go when your enemies come after you (and enemies may not be physical people, but situations)? Who do you turn to when you need help? Only God is our true Protector and Deliverer. If you turn to anything or anyone else other than Him, you are settling for less than the best! Turn to God. Cry out to Him, and He will give you a peace that guards your heart and mind.
One of my favorite songs right now is by Casting Crowns and it is entitled "Cry Out to Jesus". I wanted to share the lyrics with you as maybe you find yourself or somone you know in these types of situations and what we are encouraged to do is cry out to Jesus. Remember, he will lift our head up!
Cry Out To Jesus
To everyone who's lost someone they love,
long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough,
then you said goodbye
And to all of the people with burdens and pains,
keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and
there is no one who can make it right
There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing,
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on,
they lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again,
still it's not enough
For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains,
you try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone
in your shame and suffering
The widow who struggles with being alone,
wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home,
say a prayer tonight
There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing,
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
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