I Will Go Through the Fire if You Want Me To

Daniel 3:17-18 (Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego): "If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

I know that God can (no problem believing that), but will He? Here is the problem. How many of us aren’t willing to accept that part of the plan? We have the attitude sometimes buried deep in our consciences that, as long as God does what I think He should do and circumstances turn out how I think they should, then I’m His faithful servant. But what about when life doesn’t turn out the way we think it should? What about when God doesn’t:
· keep your parents from divorcing
· heal your husband but allows him to die instead
· protect your child when he is driving
· provide a job on your timeline or one that pays the amount of money you think you need
· provide a way to keep your house from foreclosing
· and the list goes on and on.

Daniel 3:28 goes on to say that “…God rescued His servants who trusted Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” But they went into the very center of the fire first. I have to believe that, even though their clothes and bodies were not burned and they didn’t even smell like smoke!, they probably felt the enormous heat and overwhelming emotions that they were not going to make it out of there alive. Their circumstances turned out favorably.

I did everything I thought I could do to be faithful to God, but my circumstances still didn’t turn out like I thought they should.

From a human standpoint, it would appear that God was punishing me for something. Isn’t that what we tend to think when something goes wrong? I must admit that there were times in my young adult life when I would see Christian people going through difficult times, whether it was with their children or in their marriage or finances, that my first thoughts would be to wonder what sin they had been committing and hiding from everyone. I mean, that had to be why bad things were happening. Even in more recent years, I have realized that buried somewhere deep in my subconscious thinking was this thought that if I lived my life for God trying to find His will, living for Him and reading my Bible, etc., that I would somehow be able to escape having really bad things happen to me. Well, after having some really bad things happen in my life in the midst of faithfully serving God, I am amazed at how I could have just “overlooked” what the Bible really does say about suffering and bad circumstances.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” (James 1:2)

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials…so that the proof of your faith…even though tested by fire…
(1 Peter 1:6-7)

“Indeed, all those who desire to live Godly will be persecuted.” (OUCH!! I don’t like that one.)
(2 Timothy 3:12)

“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose.”
(1 Peter 4:1) (I find it difficult to arm myself for suffering!)

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12)

“After you have suffered for a little while…” (1 Peter 5:10)

I face a constant battle in my mind wrestling with lies that satan tells me. Like how my husband’s death is my fault or could have been avoided if I had made the 911 call faster, or known CPR, or been a better wife. My son’s death is my fault because I shouldn’t have given him his truck back, or I was too hard on him, or I griped and complained too much about the conflict we were having so God really showed me now. So then my mind begins to wonder, would he still have died if I hadn’t given his truck back and one of my daughters would have driven him to the barn? Do you see the vicious craziness of what satan tries to do in our minds? If we let thoughts like this stay in our minds, then it is inevitable that it will carry over to our actions. That is why it is absolutely necessary for survival to be constantly penetrating our minds with God’s Truth. Satan may succeed at putting the thoughts there for a few minutes, but the more time we spend in God’s Word learning His Truth, the faster those lies will have to flee from our minds.

Satan tries with all his might to get me and you to doubt who God is – that He is Sovereign, Almighty God and Holy Lord.

I can’t explain why things have happened; I don’t know all the answers, but I do know that God is Sovereign. Whatever the reason is He has allowed things in my life, it wasn’t just a random decision that He made because I did something wrong and He finally got fed up with me. It is because He has a purpose for it happening that is part of His grand plan that my finite mind can only catch little glimpses of.

Above all else, He always purposes that whatever we go through will cause us to long for Him and experience Him on a deeper level. The very moment I was told that my son had indeed died, it was like another piece of a veil had been lifted from my eyes, and I immediately felt a deeper sense and awe (fear) of God. One of my next thoughts was that I wanted to be so angry at Him for taking my son away from me. But before I could go there, I was reminded of how God had given up His only Son so that my son could be in heaven right now. I knew that He understood what I was feeling in that moment.

“Some…survive the night in the lion’s den; others experience their darkest night and wake in eternity.” ~ Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 (He doesn’t say, though, that the pain and suffering won’t hurt and that it will be easy.)

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17

I am Blessed

"I am blessed, I am blessed. When I rise up in the morning, 'til I lay my head to rest. I feel You near me..."

As I was sitting in Brittany's church one Saturday morning a few weeks ago getting to listen in on their "band" practice, I was overwhelmed with joy and sadness at the same time.

I reflected back over the month of July. Two Sundays that month I was in a worship service where Morgan was singing and leading worship, using her talents for God's glory. Morgan and her new husband had just finished a mission trip to San Antonio where she was singing and he was preaching. Brittany was serving on staff at this church, and would be leading worship the next morning, singing and playing the guitar and keyboard (not both at the same time!).

I was moved to tears of sadness as I thought about how their dad should be here; how he would have loved to hear them and how very proud he would be of them. It made me sad for Britt & Mo that they don't get to see the joy that would be beaming across his face as he listened.

At the same time, I was filled with tears of joy that God was allowing me to be a part of seeing them use their talents for His glory. I remembered how I had been praying for them since they were born that their lives would always honor God. They had been serving God for a while now, but something struck a chord that morning. Maybe it was the realization that God had answered those prayers.

When Kyle was about 2 years old, he was in the backseat of the car singing "Deep and Wide". I remember being a proud mommy just beaming from ear to ear and feeling so happy inside to be listening to his sweet little voice sing about Jesus. I wondered if that's how our Abba Father (Daddy) feels when He hears His children singing praises to Him?

I couldn't help but think that, even though Britt & Mo couldn't see their earthly daddy smiling at them, their proud Heavenly Daddy was there beaming from ear to ear and, I imagine, feeling so happy inside just to be listening to His children's sweet voices and lives sing praises to Him!

It was a weird feeling that day to feel so much sadness yet to be filled with such joy at the very same time. I don't understand God's ways at times or why things happen as they do. But, as I contemplate "all the worst and all the best" in my life, I can truly say that I am blessed!