“17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; [and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in order to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 For this reason, because the king’s command was harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” 25 He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the middle of the fire. (Daniels 3:17-26 NASB)
Monday, I shared a comment from Pastor M.R. King regarding the text above. Yes, above you have the same text as yesterday. That’s not an error, not a mistake! I wanted to give equal recognition to Pastor’s wife, Frist Lady C.L. King. Here is what she said in the same class, and I quote, “The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego gives me a brand-new meaning of “I don’t look like what I’ve been through.” She was referring to the fact that the boys were bound, tied up, but not tired of being faithful and obedient. First Lady continued, “They were cast into the fiery furnace, and they had been through the fire. But they came out unscathed and better than when they went in!”
Da Boyz’ experience will be mirrored by our experiences in life, if we keep the faith, regardless of what we face. We will be cast down, thrown in the mix of circumstances that the unfaithful think should bring us down, and we will have doors closed that shut us up, in what looks like a place where we will never come out! Well, be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and stand firm in your faith. Listen now! When God brings you up; when God changes your circumstances and/or gives you strength to withstand and eventually conquer your circumstances, all that which will be seen by those who doubted that our God can solve whatever the problem may be, this or that, or as our choir director says, “this, this, this, and that” because you trusted in He who is able that everything will be alright; when God opens doors for you; you will be just like Da Boyz! You will not look like what you have been through! No sir! No ma’am! You will look better! You will look blessed! You will look like what you are a person of faith; the beneficiary of the rewarding that God gave you because you pleased Him with your faith!
Remember this lesson! Read the verse below! Recharge your faith! Rely on it because you have enough faith! Rejoice and really have a great week! Be blessed!
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King