Well, we have a nice bright sun this day – not a lot of warmth, but just the light picks up ones spirit. 

Deed sent some photos of her place she took yesterday – grey, foggy and lots of ice from the freezing rain.  She chose not to come down off the mountain – and I can’t blame her. 

Not real active today, got a couple things I need to do and then will probably watch some football.  University of Oregon played a great game last night and should remain in the hunt for the national title.  It would be great to see them get it. 

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

God did of course protect the men and Nebuchadnezzar watched and saw the three, plus one other he said looked like the Son of God, unbound, and walking in the fire as if it was nothing.  When he called them to come out, their clothing was untouched and the smell of the fire was not on them.

These men were willing to give up their lives rather than disobeying God and worshipping an idol that the King had set up. 

It is not only a story of great bravery and protection of God given to these men, but a story of how, when men stand up for God, things change.  The King admired their determination to stand for God and set forth a decree that forbid anyone from saying anything against the Lord.

Verses 28-29  Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

²⁹ Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

It is not always easy standing for God.  Many people have undergone persecution, punishment, imprisonment and even death because they did so.  We don’t know why God saved some, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, while allowing others to perish – only He knows; but regardless He expects us to stand true for Him.

The persecution may come from any angle, satan isn’t afraid to use whatever or whomever he may to tear us down.  The Apostle Paul was being harangued not only by the Jews, but some of those that were in the Christian fellowship.

There are always those that look to find fault and will cast about until they see or hear something they think is wrong.  They will twist the words, they will misinterpret, use only half truths, anything they can to try and discredit a Christian.

They delight not in the fulfillment of God’s Word, but in trying to point out that others fall short.  With glee they shine their false light on the person and accuse them; they do not care what it does to the person, or to other Christians. 

2 Corinthians 4:5-9  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

⁶ For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

It can be like arrows struck into our very heart.  We strive to do the will of God, to show His Love and Grace to others and we are met with derision and scorn. 

Will we be pulled from that fiery trouble, or will we be consumed by it?  What God wants of us is faith in Him and faithfulness to His Word. 

He will give us the courage, His Holy Spirit will stand by us as we stand, as the men who were thrown into the fire stood, and say, “it matters not what you do to me, I will serve God and Him only.”   

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again