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Our God is Able - Audio
Big Idea - Peter warns us, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12). NO doubt, the image comes from Daniel 3! Life can be hard and we can find ourselves in the intense heat and pressure of the furnace of life. It is our nature to avoid the fiery trials, but in Daniel 3 we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego choosing the fiery furnace rather than conforming to the demands of the King. What motivated them to make such a choice? Where did their extraordinary faith come from? How can we have that kind of faith?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made the commitment and choice to serve their God and worship Him alone because they believed with all their heart that their God was the Most High God who was more than able to deliver them from anything. This understanding of God came from their history as a nation who had lots of experience with God delivering them, but also from their own personal experience in Babylon. Unlike the empty and powerless gods of Babylon, their God was real and powerful. But, they did not make their choice based on any certainty that God would rescue them from the furnace. God was more than able, but they did not assume this was God's purpose. They accepted the reality that God, in His wisdom, had a good plan and purpose for them, and they could trust His plan no matter what. They had great faith, but just as important, they were also yielded to God's plan, not their own. This combination of faith and submission created in them an unwavering devotion to God that stood in stark contrast to the forced devotion of the Babylonians to their king and his gods. Their faith and devotion were not in vain, but God did not actually deliver them from the fire. They must walk through the trial and face the flames, but God walks with them in the trial, and he does deliver them through the fire. In the end, Nebuchadnezzar truly worships the God Most High, who is able to deliver as a result of their life and witness!
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By Tim DunhamBig Idea - Peter warns us, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12). NO doubt, the image comes from Daniel 3! Life can be hard and we can find ourselves in the intense heat and pressure of the furnace of life. It is our nature to avoid the fiery trials, but in Daniel 3 we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego choosing the fiery furnace rather than conforming to the demands of the King. What motivated them to make such a choice? Where did their extraordinary faith come from? How can we have that kind of faith?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made the commitment and choice to serve their God and worship Him alone because they believed with all their heart that their God was the Most High God who was more than able to deliver them from anything. This understanding of God came from their history as a nation who had lots of experience with God delivering them, but also from their own personal experience in Babylon. Unlike the empty and powerless gods of Babylon, their God was real and powerful. But, they did not make their choice based on any certainty that God would rescue them from the furnace. God was more than able, but they did not assume this was God's purpose. They accepted the reality that God, in His wisdom, had a good plan and purpose for them, and they could trust His plan no matter what. They had great faith, but just as important, they were also yielded to God's plan, not their own. This combination of faith and submission created in them an unwavering devotion to God that stood in stark contrast to the forced devotion of the Babylonians to their king and his gods. Their faith and devotion were not in vain, but God did not actually deliver them from the fire. They must walk through the trial and face the flames, but God walks with them in the trial, and he does deliver them through the fire. In the end, Nebuchadnezzar truly worships the God Most High, who is able to deliver as a result of their life and witness!