New Life Church An Oasis of Love
with Pastor Marti and Jessica McGrail
God Will Rescue You (4/17/2011) God Will Rescue You Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, ''Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.'' Daniel 3:17 When the storms of life come, it's easy to get overwhelmed by what's going on around you. You might get discouraged by opposition or criticism. But during those difficult times, it's important to remember that when everything comes against you, often it's because God has something great in store for you just on the horizon. When the three Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow down to the King's golden idol, he got so furious that he had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than normal so he could throw them in! That's what happens when you're close to a great victory; the fire gets turned up, people start talking about you, and unfair situations arise. lt seems that just as you get past one obstacle, something else pops up- Why is that? Because the enemy knows you're close to your victory and he's trying to throw you off course. This is the time when many people give up and get sour; they quit coming to church and go around grumbling and complaining. Simply because they don’t know their heritage, they lose sight of the victory God has promised His children. The Scriptures tell us that when the enemy comes like a raging flood tide, the Spirit of the Lord will drive him back (see lsaiah 59:19). Part of our privileges as children of the Most High is that when problems come, when life feels overwhelming, God has promised that He will always be there to safely bring us through. I love the fact that these three teenage boys weren't panicking either. They weren't full of anxiety. They didn't get upset or become afraid. No, they were in complete peace. They knew that God was still on the throne. They trusted that He had a plan and He was going to work out that plan for their good and His ultimate glory. The king's officials tied them up and threw them into the furnace. A few minutes later, when the king came to check on them, he was very confused. He said, ''Didn't we tie up and throw three men in here? I see four men untied and one looks like the Son of the Living God.''The Scripture says God brought them through the fire without even having them smell of smoke. You may feel like you're in the fire today. You may feel like the heat is being turned up, that everything is coming against you. Be encouraged, because there's something great in store just on the horizon. When the heat gets turned up, it means that you're close to your breakthrough! lf you will stay in faith, God will do for you what He did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He'll be with you in the fire, and He'll bring you out without even the smell of smoke on You! |
