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Do you like to build a camp fire and sit around it? Years ago, our church held a hay ride each Fall. After the ride we gathered around the fire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Those fires can get hot! Once, the side of our plastic cooler bubbled in the heat, even though it was three feet from the flames!
That reminds me of the fire king Nebuchadnezzar built in a furnace to punish Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He demanded that they bow before his idol. But they refused to violate their faith in God. Listen to their words to the king in Daniel 3:16-18, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (NIV)
Of course, Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the furnace. But God delivered them. When they came out, they didn’t even smell of smoke! But did you notice the strength of their faith? It wasn’t that God would save them. The faith was so strong they refused to bow to the idol even if God did not save them.
Is our faith strong enough to follow God, even if he doesn’t deliver us from our trials and problems?
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.