The Fiery Furnace

So here we are...the "morning after" as some call it.
History is made.
My heart raced all evening (last night) and still again this morning...I needed some reassurance and I knew God needed to speak to me.
I could feel it with every racing beat of my heart.
I didn't sleep well. I felt wide awake at 2am, 4am, 5:30am.

Finally around 10:30 this morning...I sat down to deal with this feeling. The best way I could explain it to you is this, I feel this: "mtopouotiyakestngyitr". And then after some time in silence, some reflection on God's word...it becomes clear..."I'm trying to speak to you" suddenly comes from the jumble. The letters are the same...the message just needs Gods divine power to make it clear and give peace! Hope I didn't loose you with that...hang on...I still want to tell you what God is teaching me this morning.

So, I sat down this morning...and this is what fell on my heart!
Daniel 3
It's the story of King Nebuchadnezzar (I will not torture myself with that spelling any further and just call him N for short!!). You may know it. If not...here's the scoop, very watered down.

King N had made an idol and commanded the people to bow down and worship when they heard the trumpets sound. Three men...Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused. For they knew that God had said "You shall not make for yourself an idol...You shall not bow down to them or worship them" (Exodus 20:4-5). Some spies told on them therefore King N ordered that they be thrown into a "fiery furnace". One point of interest here...this was no campfire. This was a fire that was ordered to be heated seven times hotter than the usual temperature. The stakes were higher than normal...this is capturing my attention on this specific day in history. Matter of fact...the men who threw them into the fire were killed from the intensity of the flame! Important...the stakes are high!! Don't we know that to be true this morning??

As King N came to look into the furnace...he saw four men...the 3 mentioned but a fourth whose "form was like the Son of God" (NKJV). King N clearly knew who this was. Immediately I felt something new...God is not hiding!! He is with us in the heat!! I opened a Bible commentary of mine (love it!!) and this is what it said... "The Lord either saves us out of troubles or He is with us in the troubles."!! I wanted to jump up and down and sing for joy!! The King N saw 4 men...God was there, with them IN the fire!! No He didn't save them from being in the fire, but He had a plan...a perfect plan!

The other thing I want to note here...when the men came out of the fire...there was not even a singed hair!! Nothing was burned...oh but here's another cool thing...nothing was burned but the ropes that were binding them in the furnace!! The heat was in fact used to "FREE" them!! Trials, my friends, have purpose. The heat we feel today...just watch, God will use for His purpose. We will not be burned...as long as we continue to trust in God, speak His name, and follow in obedience to what He is calling us to do.

So?? Want the rest of the story?? Though it wasn't immediate...King N did open his eyes. Actually, he says it best: "At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever" (Daniel 4: 34).

This is a Fiery Furnace in history...but fear not, the Lord will have His way.
Though the stakes are high and the fire is seven times hotter,
The Lord stands with us.
Only the ropes that bind us will burn, and there will be freedom for us who continue to live for HIM!
And when it is all said and done...the world, our leaders, and all who do not believe...Christ will make Himself known to them.
When that time comes, I pray that our leaders will fall on their faces and confess our Lord and Savior their MOST HIGH!!

Yes, history will be made.
Change is coming all right...you can bet on that.
I'm willing to bank it won't be the change "they" were thinking!!