A few years ago, I started reading a woman’s guide to reading the bible in a year by Diane Stortz. A year has come and gone but I’m hoping to get to through the entire bible one day, no rush I want to make sure I understand what I am reading. So if you struggle with taking forever to read a book your not alone. But while reading Daniel for the first time, God does a miracle that gives me so much encouragement I want to share.
King Nebuchadnezzar makes a gold image and asked everyone to worship it when the music comes on. Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused and were summoned to the king. The king promises to throw them into a blazing furnace if they don’t worship his gold image.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us [a] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 NIV
They have so much faith and are bold to tell the king who God is, clearly the Lord of their lives. They believe with their heart and soul that God would deliver them. King Nebuchadnezzar heats the fire seven times hotter than usual and gets the strongest soldiers to tie up them up with all their clothes on. They are thrown into the fire and the flames were so hot that the soldiers who threw them in died. The king then sees four men walking around in the fire unbound and unharmed, one looks like the son of gods. He commands the three out of the fire.
27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Daniel 3:27 NIV
What!!! So you’re telling me they were walking around in the fire with someone else and nothing on them is burnt except for the ropes they were tied up with. This blew my mind, they were set free just like how Jesus delivered us from our chains of the enemy. When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness and poverty. Jesus reminds me that we are healed by his stripes, free from the law of sin and death and that He will meet all of my needs according to his glory and riches in Christ Jesus. The God in the Old Testament is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow, the difference is we have a new covenant that includes grace. He can rescue you from the fire and you can leave unharmed if you let him be the Lord of you life. I’m so encouraged this morning to let God guide my steps even when they seem so difficult because He knows what is best for me and will protect me. I hope this encourages you today!! Be blessed.
EFFORT Ministries 