“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NIV).
When you trust God in spite of suffering, you’ll point unbelievers to him.
How you handle pain is a great witness to the world.
Frankly, you and I aren’t much of a witness when life is good. Anyone can serve God during those times.
But tough times are a different story.
Remember the story of Daniel’s friends being tossed into the fire? They trusted God, and he rescued them in a miraculous manner.
These guys impressed the king with their faith. And the king was the most powerful emperor of that age.
The king said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NIV).
King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that these guys were willing to defy his order and risk death because they trusted God.
What are you willing to die for?
If you don’t know what you’re willing to die for, you’ll never truly live. You’ll only exist.
Did you know that some trees only sprout after a forest fire? The jack pine tree of North America is like that. The seeds are in the cones so tightly that they won’t come out unless intense heat comes along. It’ll melt the resin, then the seed drops, and then it germinates.
Without heat, it wouldn’t happen.
The same is true with us.
Sometimes God brings new life to others because we trusted him through the fire.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- How have you drawn closer to God by seeing other people’s responses to times of suffering?
- What are some things you’d be willing to die for?
- Why are we often a better witness in tough times than good times?
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