A Meditation

FOR august 9, 2020
Based on Daniel 3:1-30

GOD IS WITH US

Today’s message is based upon the prophet, Daniel’s account of an incident that occurred during the Babylonian Captivity of Jews from Judea. King Nebuchadnezzar had built a huge statue of gold, and issued an order that, at the sound of music, everyone in Babylon was to fall down and worship it. Those who refused were to be bound and thrown into a blazing furnace. Three young Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refused to worship the golden image, and were hauled before the king as a result.

In response to being questioned by the king, the three stated boldly that they did not need to defend themselves before him. They said that God was able to deliver them from the furnace, and even if He did not, they would not serve the Babylonian gods, or worship the image. They were then bound and thrown into the furnace.

When the king looked at the furnace expecting to see the three being consumed by the fire, he saw four men unbound, walking and talking in the furnace. The fourth man appeared to him to be a son of the gods.

When Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the furnace, they emerged with their bodies unharmed, hair unsinged, clothes unscorched; and they did not even smell of smoke.

The king gave praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and declared that anyone who said anything against their God was to be executed.

Today, we may not be facing a blazing furnace, but we are besieged by multiple dangers. Along with the obvious dangers of ill-health and death, the COVID 19 virus threatens our worship, our children’s education, the livelihoods of many, and the lifestyles of most. Many are also under attack from our hurricane and wildfire seasons; and we are engulfed in racial conflicts that seem to grow worse daily. In times like these, doubters, and even some believers, might be prompted to wonder where God is in these situations.

In the case of the three Jewish men, we know exactly where God was; He was in the fire with them. Although He did not save them from the fire, He saved them in the fire. When King Darius was manipulated into casting Daniel into a pit of lions because he prayed to the God of the Jews, God did not save him from the pit, but He sent angels to protect him from the lions (Daniel 6).

If we do not get a response from God that is exactly what we asked for, or expected, it doesn’t mean that He has abandoned us; it might suit God’s purpose for us much better if He gets in the

fire or the pit with us to protect, instruct, encourage and comfort us. God chooses His method, and since He is wise beyond our understanding, He makes the correct decision.

Some preachers would have us believe that when we choose to walk with God, we will live a trouble-free life of great prosperity. However, converts usually find that submitting to God causes the evil tempter to attack us more forcefully to redirect our paths toward sin. But God loves us too much to abandon us to this onslaught; he gets in the fire with us to give us strength, resistance, joy, peace and numerous other blessings.

We don’t have to wonder where God is in these times of trial; He is with firefighters battling wildfires; with neighbors helping neighbors during, and after, storms; with scientists urgently trying to develop vaccines; with medical professionals and caregivers.

When better times come to us, we will look back and realize we could not have made it through the trials without God’s help. He may not save us from the fire, but He stays with us and saves us in the fire.

AMEN