TEXT: DANIEL 3: 8- 27
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
The Lord did not promise us smooth sailing journey in life, He never promised that we will always be seeing sunshine without dark cloud and rainy days. He only promise us in John 16: 33 that no problem will over power us because He has overcome the world for us, therefore we should be of good cheer (positive attitude).
Along the journey of life, we will encounter situations that are not good or pleasant, because giving your life to Christ is not the assurance that you will have problem-free life, but your assurance as a child of God is that the problem will not overcome you; rather you will be the one to overcome the problem and come out victorious because the Lord is your ever present help in your time of trouble. As believers and as children of God; the battle of life that we are facing has already been won by God; therefore victory is certain for us!
The three Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) gave their loyalty to the Most High God; they refused to bow for the Babylonian god. They were arrested and thrown into the fiery furnace to die. These boys were able to control their attitude by not getting angry with God; they did not say "WHY should they be arrested when they are loyal to the only true God." They did not ask God why He allowed that to happen to them, instead they continued in their loyalty to God. They were calm and trusting God to show His mighty hand to deliver them. These boys were of good cheer (they maintained positive attitude) as the Lord has told us.
They controlled their attitude during a challenging period; this made God to be pleased and happy to control the heat of the fire so that they will not be hurt. The Lord took out the heat of the fire, and turned the fiery furnace to “air condition” for the boys!
The fire was heated so well that it killed the people that threw the Hebrew boys in the fire. Yet these boys did not feel the pain, they did not die in the fire, the fire had no effect on them that when they came out of the fire; there was no smell of fire on them!
In the same vein, if you can control your attitude during a negative season, if you can maintain positive attitude when things are going wrong around you, the Lord will help you to control the heat of the problem so that you will come out unhurt and become better after the problem is over.
Many people throw in the towel; they say derogatory things to God when they are in problem. They are unable to control their attitude; they cannot be of good cheer as the Lord has admonished us.
Let us learn from the three Hebrew boys, let’s learn how to control our attitude during problem and affliction, and leave God to control the heat of the problem for us so that we would come out victoriously.
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