I wonder

Lord, I wonder if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prayed the night before they were going to be thrown into the fiery furnace, for You to come and help them, if they prayed for You to "do something", if they sent out prayer requests in hope that You would not let that happen. I wonder if Daniel did the same before he was to be thrown into the lions den.

You did not save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from going to the fiery furnace, and neither did You spare Daniel from being thrown into the lions den.

I have always admired their courage, conviction and faith. How bravely they spoke to the king after hearing their sentence.

 

"If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us

from the burning fiery furnace,

and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

But if not, be it known to you, O king,

that we will not serve your gods

or worship the golden image that you have set up."

~Daniel 3:17

 

But more than that I was always astounded at the miracle in that story. They were unbound! They did not burn! They did not even smell like fire! You were with them!

 

I have always admired Daniel as well and his steadfastness and faithfulness. And how You save him.

 

"So Daniel was taken up out of the den,

and no kind of harm was found on him,

because he had trusted in his God."

~Daniel 6:23b

 

Lord, You did not spare them from facing harm, but You were with them and protected them.

 

Jesus, it makes me wonder if we just want it easy. We want things to happen perfectly and we want the least amount of pain possible. But that's not how it works, does it?

 

It's not about if we have to go through or be saved from the fiery furnace, the lions den, it's about Jesus being with us, going with us.

Keep CZECHING IN!