Putting Our Bodies on the Line

 It is one thing to be persecuted for being a believer so that we are called names or we lose our job. It is a whole different thing to put our bodies on the line, so that we stand up for God when we know we could be killed. I wonder how many of us would do that today? One of the most famous examples of this type of commitment to God was when Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego ignored King Nebuchadnezzar's order to worship his statute. (Daniel 3:28) They knew that the sentence for their rebellion would be to be thrown into a overheated furnace and die. They knew God could rescue them, but there was no guarantee. In the end Jesus came to rescue them, and they did not even get the smell of smoke. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar blessed their God and honored them for trusting God, instead of worshiping an idol. This account has many truths that can help us today.

God expects us to be fully obedient to Him, so that we worship Him alone and never compromise to worship any other gods. If we spend our time and money on sports, shopping, recreation, or games, etc. in such a way that we are taken away from our complete devotion to God, then, we are worshiping that thing as an idol. We must reject that temptation and stand strong, even if our culture turns against us and declares we will be executed for our beliefs. We must be fully assured that if we are faithful, God will be faithful to us. He might deliver us from death, or He may take us to heaven, which is even better. However, it is never good for us to compromise with this world. It could even lead us to have a very special experience where God or one of His angels comes to our rescue. Wouldn't that be glorious? I pray we will determine to be faithful to God, no matter what.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 4-6.