Corona Devo 3292
Before opening the Bible, I scribbled a desperate prayer in my journal, snapshotting my heart: Lord--we NEED You. We are walking through the fire.
The flames of persecution may be licking at our heels, or perhaps the heat of pain or sorrow surround us.
Are we walking through fires of emotional trauma? Or is it a fire of physical flames that laps at our peace and faith-foundation? Or perhaps it is people that are causing our world to burn down around us.
Lord--we NEED You. We are walking through the fire.
It's as if you can't see anyone else, or even remember anything else. All we know in the burden of the fire is the suffocating nature of it surrounding us.
Lord--we NEED You. We are walking through the fire.
But this is why we open our hearts to the Lord. This is why we seek Him when we are weak, and we lift our hearts and our cries to the Lord. And then the Lord can open His Word, and His ways, and His people to us...when we're walking through the fire.
~~~
After scribbling to the Lord and praying to Him about the fire...I moved into my day and my chores, and I decided to play some worship music on my phone to encourage my spirit. (Try it--it works!)
Before the music played, an advertisement played, and it gripped me as it forecasted a new movie about the life of Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Remember Daniel and his buds? They were taken captive into a foreign culture that worshipped other gods and required Daniel to do the same, except that Daniel and his friends wouldn't. They stood up and stood out for God. They were firm in their faith, and (because of this) Daniel's friends literally walked through fire...and they were not burned.
At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. (9 )They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! (10) Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, (11) and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
(12) But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
(13) Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, (14) and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? (15) Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
(16) 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 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.”
(19) Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual (20) and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. (21) So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. (22) The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, (23) and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
(24) Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
(25) He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
(26) Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came 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.
(28) Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. (29) Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
(30) Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. ~Daniel 3:8-30
Scripture reminds us that we are not the first to face the fire for our faith.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood firm in their devotion to God, even though they looked different than everyone else as they did it, and they faced the fire for it.
We will also face the fire if we stand firm in our faith, Friends. But the bible reminds us today that God will preserve us as we walk through it. Our Lord protects us in the fire.
Did we think that we are the first to walk through fire🔥because of our faith? The Bible reminds us that many have gone before us, who also walked through the fire.
My fire is not your fire, but we all walk through it at one time or another. Just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did.
Did we need reminded that we are not the first to walk through fire? God speaks to us today and He is with us today, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Lord--we NEED You. We are walking through the fire...and You are right here with us. Amen.
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” ~Daniel 3:25
Blessings,
sarah
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