The King had a 90 foot gold statue made and then issued a decree. The decree said that when you hear the sound of all the musical instruments you were to bow to the ground to worship the statue the King had set up. Anyone that refused would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Well, it seems that not everyone obeyed.The astrologers of the city went to the King and told him that some of the Jews weren't paying attention to what the King had ordered. They were speaking of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This news made the King really mad...furious in fact! So Nebuchadnezzar said if they didn't worship the idol he would have them thrown into the fiery furnace immediately! Basically, the three of them didn't care. They told the King no. If you throw us in we know our GOD is able to save us. But even if GOD chooses not to they would not serve the King's god or bow to idols. So...Nebuchadnezzar had the men tied up, then had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal and told the soldiers to throw them in. It was so hot the soldiers died and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell in.
In my thoughts, what happened next was amazing.
As the King was watching he saw four men walking around in the fire...and they weren't tied up any longer! Nebuchadnezzar even said that the fourth looked like a son of the gods. He immediately told them to come out of the furnace. When they did their clothes weren't even scorched a little and they didn't smell of smoke. The King was so amazed by all of this that he issued another decree. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that no one worship any other GOD than the one that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego worship. If they did they would be killed and their houses turned to rubble.
WOW! What a turn around that King had. From worshiping idols to only worshiping the one true GOD...our GOD!
You know, I used to hear these stories from the bible and think of them as just that...stories! In reality they are not stories. These are real life events, of real people, that used to walk this earth just like you and I. Just like the people the bible tells us about, we all have our own life experiences. Now, I don't know of anyone of us that has ever been thrown into a furnace but we have lived through many other things. Just as we learn from the things in our lives, and the lives of those around us, we can learn from the lives of those that lived before us. This is one thing I took away from the story...
GOD is working for us. Everyday people are telling us to do things. Things that may be contrary to what we should do. GOD has a specific purpose for everyone of our lives and satan doesn't want us to fulfill that purpose. satan will do anything he can to keep us from living to the full potential that GOD has planned for our lives. Are we going to let him win? satan will use whomever he can to stop us from fulfilling our destiny that the LORD has planned for us. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the idol, we have to refuse to bow to the demands of others if they don't line up with GOD'S will for our lives. Just like Nebuchadnezzar they may get furious. They might not have a fiery furnace to throw us into but they can do other things to us...if we let them. We just have to be strong and tell them that we are going to do what the LORD our GOD wants us to do. Don't bow to their demands...decrees that they set before us. Then, just like the three men we are talking about here...the LORD will be walking around with us and HE won't let us get burned no matter how hot the fire gets!
I like this verse. Obviously because I use it a lot...
Deuteronomy 31:6
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”Read the account of this part of these three men's lives. It is really a great miracle of GOD! I like the last line in the chapter...
10 comments:
Thank you for Deuteronomy 31:6
Let us be be strong and courageous!
'When they did their clothes weren't even scorched a little and they didn't smell of smoke'. Whuh! I love that!
There are many fiery trials that we will go through, but through the grace and protection of the living God, we will come out of them, with no evidence of going through them. In fact we shall come forth as pure gold.
Praise the Lord!
Thanks Chelle, loved this post on one of my favourite 'stories'.
Have a worshipful Sunday.
Very good post Chelle because man always want us to go contray to what God says and I won't I don't care about what man might say or what it will cost. GOD is the only one who died for me and gave me Mercy and Grace so that I can live with Him in eternal Heaven all because of Salvation.
Good example when Christmas came the store I was working at did not want us to just say Merry Christmas they wanted us to say Happy Holidays because they didn't want to offend people. Well needless to say I did not do as they ask, I said Merry Christmas to every person I helped and many of them said "you telling me you can say Merry Christmas and not get into trouble? My response was to them, I have to say Merry Christmas because had it not been for Christ where would I be. The customers appreciated it and ask me was I a Christian and I said I sure am! Paul said when people become offend let them for he rather have them offended and save their soul then to worry about their emotional feeling which will only last for a moment.
We as true children of God has to learn what is a MUST and each day I am beginning to see it so much clear.
"we have to refuse to bow to the demands of others if they don't line up with GOD'S will for our lives"
I love this line. This weekend was a doozy! The part about no scorch or burn smell was left, and even ^her comment about us coming our of trials like gold... that really spoke to me. I feel like I've been coming out of these things by the skin of my teeth... I need to spend some more time with our living God.
Thank you ladies.
<3, Kendra
Chelle,
I absolutely love the story of Meschach, Shadrach and Abednego. I too used to think the stories of the Bible were just that stories, but those stories are in the bible for a reason, to show us that God will work in our lives just like He did in their's. The world may try to put is through the fiery furnace but if we stay strong in the Lord it will not burn us.
Blessings to you
The other night in our small group we asked what was everyone's favorite Bible story as a child. Several said the fiery furnace. It is indeed miraculous!
Hi Chelle - God's saving grace for us is amazing and I know that sometimes I am so small-minded that I think God can't help me. Daft really, He spoke the world into being, I think He can more than manage our challenges.
God bless precious friend
Tracy
Loved this Chelle; God does work in our lives and we cannot allow fear to become our ruler! We are told to walk by faith, not by fear. We can’t submit to fear…but to the Lord; He will protect us! :)
Blessings for a joyful day, :)
Denise
what a nice reminder.
I have to tell myself many times,, "do not be afraid."
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
i do love ....
'your God will personally go ahead of you ...'
such comfort!
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