Fiery Furnace
There were three young guys who weren't having it--Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Wait, did you think I was going to say Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego? Those were the names they were given when they were taken as slaves from Judah to Babylon. I prefer their Hebrew names.
These youths had the audacity to defy the king's order. They refused to bow down, even though they knew it meant certain death. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:17-18, If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Did you notice that? They were sure God could spare them death by the furnace, but even if He chose not to save them, they would not worship the king's golden idol. The Jewish boys were thrown in the fiery furnace, but they weren't alone. Even King Nebuchadnezzar noticed a fourth person in the fire, and he looked to him like the Son of God.
We may not always be spared suffering in this life. Prolific Christian author Cecil Murphey says, "God promises His presence, but not always His protection."
Here is some hope for your heart:
You are not alone.
He walks beside you.
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The Hubster is quite ill, with an upper respiratory infection. We appreciate your prayers.
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Notable Quote:
"Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil."--John Calvin
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