40 days to 40, day 17

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  I've read this story in the bible before, but tonight during my 'fasting' devotional time,  I really got to chew on it, but it was kind of hard to swallow.   It talks about the three Jewish men who were demanded by King Nebuchadnezzar to worship the image he set up commanding all to follow or else they'd be set thrown into the fiery furnace.   Their response is what you see above and what a powerful story of faith.   I'll let you read the rest of the story on your own,  and I'll try not to spoil the ending.  Trust me, it's  a good one!  What really got to me in their response is not only their faith that God will deliver them from it, but even if he didn't, it didn't change their commitment to their decision.    This is not only a story of powerful faith, but the real nitty, gritty true faith like  when the rubber meets the road story and not the fluffy feel good stories we always want to hear.  Now I am grateful that I have not been faced with that life-threatening decision for my faith and you probably never will but if we think about it, we probably face our own blazing furnaces in life, threatening the life of our very spirit, relationships or faith.  It simply means sticking to your guns, standing firm in your values in a world that's wavering in none.  Even in some Christian circles, a sense of God saving faith is often promoted. That if you pray hard enough or do good, God will always save you. Well what happens if He doesn't save you from the blazing furnace?  What then?  Will you, or I stand firm and committed to God? I pray that I do. 
     Today, was another busy, rough day at work and at times I felt like I was in the blazing furnace, but looking back I felt God with me every moment.  It was the kind of rough day that a big glass of wine at the end of it would have been very nice.  But instead, I had a peaceful moment outside as I turned to look at the stars,  being in God's presence, and it was real and pretty spectacular.  Oh, and the chocolate brownie was nice too! 

The years teach much which the days never knew.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson


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