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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They
trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their
lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I
decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be
turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the
province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:28-30
This ends today’s reading
from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What can happen when we stand firm on our faith, refuse to
compromise the principles God calls us to, and trust Him to deliver us through
whatever worldly consequences this stance might bring?
As we see in today’s devotion, our faithful, steadfast
devotion to God can produce many fruits. Look again at these closing verses of
Daniel 3:
Then Nebuchadnezzar
said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his
angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s
command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship
any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation
or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no
other god can save in this way.” Daniel
3:28-30
Before we jump into this scripture passage, let’s recap what
got us to this point.
It all started when King Nebuchadnezzar had an image
fashioned out of gold and place on the plain of Duma. Once the image was place,
the king of Babylon ordered all his people to fall down before the image and
worship it whenever they heard the sound of “the horn, flute, zither, lyre,
harp, pipe and all kinds of music”. If the people complied with the king’s edict,
all would be well. If they refused, they would be cast into a blazing furnace.
So the decree was issued and the people obeyed with the
exception of Daniel’s three counterparts: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. After
astrologers brought word of this defiance to Nebuchadnezzar, the king called
the men to him and gave them an opportunity to change their ways and comply
with his wishes in exchange for their lives. But you’ll remember that Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego remained resolute in their stance for God, ensuring the
king knew that they trusted their Lord would deliver them from the furnace’s
flames.
With that, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace to be stoked
seven times hotter than usual before the three men were cast inside it. Once
that happened, you’ll recall that the king of Babylon looked on with amazement
and awe as he saw not just three men but a fourth with them, walking around
inside the furnace.
This led to Nebuchadnezzar demanding that Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego come out of the furnace and when they did, not just the king but
his “satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers” saw that none of the
three men had been burned at all. The scriptures told us there was no harm to
their bodies and their robes weren't even scorched. Indeed, the God of all
gods, the God of Daniel and his three Jewish counterparts, had once again
revealed His miraculous power to Nebuchadnezzar and those in company with him.
Go back to the beginning of this devotion and remember we
are focusing on the fruits that can be bore from remaining uncompromisingly
trustworthy of God and what He can do. From the closing verses of Chapter 3, we
discover the following:
1. Staying steadfast in faith can bring others to believe in
God.
Then Nebuchadnezzar
said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his
angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s
command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship
any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation
or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no
other god can save in this way.”
Before, the king had given his worship to a golden image but
now we find Nebuchadnezzar praising the “God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego”
which we know of course to be the one and only God, the Lord God Almighty, the
Maker of heaven and earth. And not only did Nebuchadnezzar praise God but he
also acknowledged the unyielding faith of the three men as they defied his
command and were willing to die before they would violate God or His
directives. Finally, note where Nebuchadnezzar declared that no one was to speak
against the only and only God of the Jews, that is, unless they wanted to perish.
It’s interesting how three men were able to turn a king who
worshiped paganism into a full-fledged, God-worshiper but we need to see
first-hand what faith can do. It really does change things.
2. Staying steadfast in faith can result in blessings from
God.
Then the king
promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Note where the king who earlier in this chapter was ready to
kill Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego now promoted them within the ranks of his
court in the “province in Babylon”. We aren’t told what lever they are elevated
to in this passage but it’s really a mute point. The main takeaway is that the
three men found themselves in the midst of God’s favor as a result of their
faithful obedience.
Helping others find their faith in God.
Experiencing the blessings of obedient, faithful living.
These are just two of the many fruits we will bear when we
choose to stay dedicated and committed to God’s will, word, and way.
How fruitful is your faith life today?
Amen
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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