Daniel 3 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?...If you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He doesn't, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
Sometimes you must make a stand for something. And sometimes you must stand against something. And sometimes it is the same thing.
Our God is able to deliver us. But even if He doesn't we will be faithful to Him. That is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it is extremely difficult.
Thou He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
At this point in my life it is easy to praise Him. Easy to trust Him. Easy to talk about how wonderful He is. Because I am in the middle of the best year of my life. I have all I really need. My family is good. My kids are good. Life is good.
But what if tragedy struck? Again. What if something terrible happened? What if the worst happened? Is my foundation strong enough that I would not be shaken, even though the earth be moved underneath me? What if the winds blew? What if the floods came? Do I love Him enough that I could say, in the midst of the worst, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.? Not just anything hurting me, What if He allowed me to fall into a nightmare?
God did choose to save the three young Hebrew men from the fiery furnace. But what if He hadn't?
What about you? Is God allowing the flame to touch you? Are the winds blowing? Are the floods rising?
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.
He has to be more than just words on a page when times get rough. There has to be a friendship there. There has to be a relationship. If He is just a story to you then it won't be enough. He must be with you. Thou art with me.
At the funeral last week, Billy's funeral, I saw his wife, Sue, during the church service. In the middle of her husband's funeral she stood, with hands raised, in worship to the God who could have saved him. If God had been willing He could have healed her husband. Instead, God chose to give to him a heavenly body. And Sue chose to make a stand.
She chose to stand FOR her Lord. She also chose to stand AGAINST death. She did both at the same time. By standing in worship to her God, during the most difficult time in her life, she took a stand and said, Oh death where is your victory? Oh grave where is your sting?
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Father, I love You. Thank You for this time in my life. These months of peace and well being; times when all is good and praise is easy. I know storms will come. Build in me a faith that can stand like Sue's. In adversity. During pain. In times of trouble. May I be like the Hebrew children and say, He is able, but even if He chooses not to, I will be true to Him. He has done enough already for me to me to say, He is good. He is faithful. All the time.
Sometimes you must make a stand for something. And sometimes you must stand against something. And sometimes it is the same thing.
Our God is able to deliver us. But even if He doesn't we will be faithful to Him. That is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it is extremely difficult.
Thou He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
At this point in my life it is easy to praise Him. Easy to trust Him. Easy to talk about how wonderful He is. Because I am in the middle of the best year of my life. I have all I really need. My family is good. My kids are good. Life is good.
But what if tragedy struck? Again. What if something terrible happened? What if the worst happened? Is my foundation strong enough that I would not be shaken, even though the earth be moved underneath me? What if the winds blew? What if the floods came? Do I love Him enough that I could say, in the midst of the worst, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.? Not just anything hurting me, What if He allowed me to fall into a nightmare?
God did choose to save the three young Hebrew men from the fiery furnace. But what if He hadn't?
What about you? Is God allowing the flame to touch you? Are the winds blowing? Are the floods rising?
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.
He has to be more than just words on a page when times get rough. There has to be a friendship there. There has to be a relationship. If He is just a story to you then it won't be enough. He must be with you. Thou art with me.
At the funeral last week, Billy's funeral, I saw his wife, Sue, during the church service. In the middle of her husband's funeral she stood, with hands raised, in worship to the God who could have saved him. If God had been willing He could have healed her husband. Instead, God chose to give to him a heavenly body. And Sue chose to make a stand.
She chose to stand FOR her Lord. She also chose to stand AGAINST death. She did both at the same time. By standing in worship to her God, during the most difficult time in her life, she took a stand and said, Oh death where is your victory? Oh grave where is your sting?
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Father, I love You. Thank You for this time in my life. These months of peace and well being; times when all is good and praise is easy. I know storms will come. Build in me a faith that can stand like Sue's. In adversity. During pain. In times of trouble. May I be like the Hebrew children and say, He is able, but even if He chooses not to, I will be true to Him. He has done enough already for me to me to say, He is good. He is faithful. All the time.
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