When all has been said and done, would it be on record that you walked in a manner that brought glory to our Lord Jesus Christ? Take a look around you; there is nothing to encourage us to serve God the more. On a daily basis, the enemy sets up all manner of statues for us to bow to and worship. As a result, so many have lost their identity in Christ. So many bear the name of Christ but refuse to key into the name. The Bible says at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, in Heaven, on and under the earth. Praise God that the three Hebrew men in Daniel 3 did not forget their names and most importantly the name of Whom they bear. These men were surrounded by men that had no regard for God and were seen as strange for not joining the rest of the people in their evil. The Bible gave an account of how king Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden statue and commanded everyone under his rule to worship it. Hananiah meaning the Lord is gracious (Shadrach), Mishael meaning who is like God (Meshach) and Azariah meaning the Lord our helper (Abednego) though were governors in this empire refused to bow to pressure and worship the statue that had been set up by the king. When the king confronted them they didn’t mince words when they told him they had no explanation for him, except the fact that they would not worship the statue he had erected. The God they worship has the power to deliver them from his hands; but if He chooses not to, they would still not bow to the erected statue. Can we boldly declare like these men even at the cost of losing our livelihood, relationships, that we will not bow before any idol? We are quick to declare we love the Lord but when it gets to proving it, so many children of God chicken out and look for scriptures to excuse their behavior. The Bible says the king was enraged and commanded that the furnace be heated seven times more. His strongest warriors were told to bind them and cast them in; these warriors were instantly killed because of the strong heat of the fire as they approached the furnace. If we stand our ground those that pushed us into the furnace will be burnt by the fires! The Bible says the king jumped to his feet because he saw four men instead of three walking unhurt and unperturbed by the fires. Friend, hold on and contend for the faith, the very same people that pushed you in will be the ones that will be agitated and troubled because God will show up. The names of the young men were so apt. Indeed God was gracious to them by entering the fire with them; He helped them and was visible to the enemy. Such that they declared Him to be the only true God! They were quickly brought out and promoted and God was honored and glorified. Friend, every pain that had been inflicted on you this year, because you stood your ground, bore the name (identity) of God, you will be rewarded and elevated openly and all glory will be the LORD’s! Jesus is LORD!
Have you ever visited a quarry site and considered the process the rocks are subjected to before they become dressed stones to be used? If the stones could talk they will have a story to tell about their experiences. As children of God we go through diverse experiences and we wonder if we will indeed survive them. Sometimes we wonder why our gracious and compassionate Father would allow such to befall us considering who we are in Him and what we are doing in His vineyard. The Scripture that should readily come to our minds in such circumstances is God’s assurance when He said: “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire and the flame will not burn you ” (Isaiah 43:2). This Scripture assures us that through the experiences of flames and waters, God is always by our side to see us through. Thus, it is necessary for us to go through the...
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