The words of Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel as he prepares to share a dream but ironically after the chapter that explains how he became furious and commanded three men of God be thrown into a blazing furnace heated seven times hotter than usual because they would not worship the gods or worship the image of gold he set up. In fact, the three men declared they did not need to defend themselves in this matter...
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your God's or worship the image of gold you have set up." The three men were firmly tied and fell into the blazing furnace, after the flames of the fire killed the soldiers. And then...
"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods", says the king. The governors and royal advisers crowded around them as they came out of the fire. What is truly amazing is how the king commanded them out as acknowledged the truth. He commands them for a second time but this time in recognition of the one true God.
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!"
What does this story say to me about God?
My exhaustion many days comes from the enemy's pressure, many times through man's idea to bow down and give in to the things not of the Most High God. I can feel bound and threatened. I see it daily in the political news in many countries. The pressure to bow down to the ways of a political party. The pictures showing those in power gathering around the top official as he dedicates the next great image or policy and then requests loudly that we all must fall down and worship it...and if we do not, we will burn! But God, the Most High God. What does He say the truth is?
What He is saying to me is that I have a choice...is it easy, no. But I have a choice. I can be intimidated by a corrupt system, witchcraft, my fellow American Believers or a desperately lost thief and become bound by fear or...I can choose to turn from the lies, speak light into the darkness, and not bow down to the ways of an unjust system and world. I can choose to trust that the Most High God's ways are higher and instead of demanding justice, bring it all to Him. All justice and righteousness flows from His throne. I can choose to gather around the throne as royalty, the daughter of the King, as He gives declarations...and the pure beauty is He will not demand I fall down and worship Him or His ways. I can choose to...because I love, I abide. I can choose to be thrown into the blazing furnace of the things of this world and walk around in the fire, unbound and unharmed because I love, I abide. I can walk in freedom as He is with me in it all, and I will not burn!
It takes personal choices to change the world, the corrupt systems and not the laws of the kings. It takes the ways of the Most High King. Who will we gather around? Who will we bow to? Who will we dedicate our lives to? For no other god can save in the way we see Him save in the blazing furnace...they trusted in Him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship another.
His promise to the nations and people of every language...He will be with us always to the very end of the age. Will you love? Will you abide?
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