I am reading through the Bible this year, and this morning I got to the great story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and their devotion to God. When reading this story, I feel like a child who says, "Tell it to me again!" Do you remember reading a particular story to your kids 100+ times? For Rachel it was "Madeline", for Michelle it was "Dr. Dolittle and the Pirates."
I encourage you to read in the Old Testament the 2nd & 3rd chapters from the book of Daniel. You will be swept up in the story like I always am! I will give a brief overview, but nothing like the actual Word of God. Second to the Word of God is the Veggie Tale version of the story, you will laugh your head off!
King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream, and nobody on his staff can interpret it. Someone recommends Daniel, who is a Jew being held captive in Babylon. Daniel interprets the dream along with his three friends ( I will now refer to them as S,M&A). The king is very appreciative and thinks God is awesome, but has short term memory and later builds a gold statue of himself and wants everyone to bow down before it. S,M&A (Daniel too, but that is a different story) refuse to bow down to any idol, so the King throws them into a furnace. The King is so mad he has the furnace cranked up extra hot! S,M&A are thrown in with clothes and all, and the King stands at a distance and looks in. To his amazement, he sees FOUR people in there and they are not burning!! The King tells them to come out, and to his surprise these men don't have a single hair our of place and don't even smell like smoke. The King praises God and says one of my favorite lines, "There is no other god who can rescue like this!"
Those are mighty words because we all have a lot that we need to be rescued from! There is so much pain, injustice, disappointment, and sickness in this world we can't even begin to imagine how it will ever get better. God's Word says that he will someday wipe all tears from our eyes. We can only trust that God is in control and that time for Him is not the same as it is for us. God will have the final word, and for those who know Him and call Him by name, He is the only God that can save.
I can give a first hand account of how God can rescue from anxiety, fear, and illness. When I look at what has happened over the past three years in my life, I am humbled and in awe over what God has done. I have been blessed to be in the care of brilliant doctors and have great technology and treatment, but the best moments have come from God. When God rescues me, or even better, someone else from despair, there is an elation that is like no other. When you feel God's presence in the dark times, that is when you are truly seeing Him and know the characteristics that make Him like no other God (actually, there is no other God, just empty idols).
If you are running dry and need to be reminded of how God works, read Daniel 2&3, or reflect back on the times that seemed impossible but God brought you through.
We can do everything through Him because He gives us strength. Phil 4:11
God Bless,
Sandy
.
