Good morning champion, the weekend is here again, here’s a Friday fry up for you, we are going to stay with the book of Daniel but look at chapter 3 and the famous account of the furnace and the Fourth man, hope this gives you something to think about and digest over the weekend.
Daniel 3: 24 – 25 (NKJV)
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
· If you look for Jesus in the whole bible and not just the Gospels you will see Him (or a type or shadow of Him) in every single book, throughout the old testament He pops up, one of the greatest examples of this is here in Daniel 3 when he appears in the fire with the 3 men who stood up for God before Nebuchadnezzar. If you get chance this weekend to read Daniel 3 go ahead and do it it’s a great chapter.
· The three men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had taken a stand to only worship God they rejected political correctness of their day and stood out in the crowd for it, as with Daniel they had been set up by the other envious leaders, boxed in a corner were it was down to them worshipping a golden man made God to see if they would live or die, they refused and were thrown into a furnace that had been heated 7 times hotter because of the kings annoyance at them.
· The King thinking He had sorted the problem looked into the furnace and sees the men perfectly well but also another person, the reason He was “like the Son of God” was because He was the son of God!
· When you take a stand to live a life where you “turn up and stand up for God” He will turn up and stand up for you, in the good places and in the challenging ones too.
· We do not face a physical furnace but we too face other furnace like challenges in life, the fire of peoples opinion who don’t like God, the fire of mockery and threats of what we could lose, the fires of trials and persecutions stand for Him and He will turn up!
· As with Daniel in the account of the lion’s den the day ended different to what it began, the day began with them being thrown in a fire for what they believed and a nation that would not recognize their leadership or their God. The day ended with the people who had set them up being thrown into the furnace, with them being promoted and God becoming famous in the land and honored by the once unbelieving King.
“What a difference a day makes 24 little hours” live a life where you stand up for Him and he will cause a bad day to turn into a great one!
If you face a furnace today of one sort or another, stay in faith, step into it knowing your righteousness in Him and that God can and will save the day, then wait for everything to turn around for your benefit when the fourth man arrives!!!!!!
It may be a day like it was for them but maybe it is longer, keep trusting the fourth man will be there in perfect time.
God bless you live for the true King (the one who comes and joins you in the furnace).
Andy
A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.
Great Big Life
Empowering People
Andy Elmes
Pastor & Leadership Coach
UK Office:
PO BOX 240
Southsea
PO2 7YE.
+ 44 (0) 2392 342592
