Daniel 3:24-25
“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” A familiar story. King Nebuchadnezzar had made an image of gold, and gathered together all sorts of dignitaries for the dedication of it. A command was given…“That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Daniel 3:5-6 There were only three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who chose to stand when all the others were bowing. They refused to compromise their belief in God despite the threat of the burning fiery furnace. They were not afraid of the opposition, but rather had faith that their God would deliver them, or they would be willing to die for their faith. Daniel 3:17-18 “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. 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.” Because they chose to take a stand, the Lord not only protected them from burning in the fiery furnace, He went into the fire with them. Daniel 3:25 “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” The Lord wants to walk into our fires with us. Our faith may be tried with fire, but if we submit ourselves to allowing God to work His will in our lives through the fire, we too can bring Jesus Christ the praise, honour and glory He deserves. 1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” Regardless of the opposition or peer pressure around you, choose to take a stand for what the Bible says is right. God is sure to bless your faith and deliver you from both the enemy and the fiery furnace. You can walk in the midst of your fire today with the Lord by your side. Bible Reading: Isaiah 19-20 | Romans 3 | Psalm 52
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II Chronicles 20:15
“And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.” The crowd around us can sometimes deter us from our purpose or duty. When we feel as if there is a great company against us and we don't know what to do, we must turn our eyes upon Jesus! When all of Judah stood before the LORD with anticipation of how He would help them, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel in the midst of the congregation. The LORD used him to proclaim our verse today. When you read the verse did a certain battle you are currently facing come to mind? Be encouraged that it’s not your battle to fight! We must stand still, lay down our arms, and allow God to fight the battle for us. Exodus 14:14 “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” We often want to do whatever we can to help get ourselves out of the situation we are in, and of course we want to win! If we fight on our own we do more harm than good; but when we stand still and surrender our will in the fight, we allow God to move as only He can. Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” We have the Almighty God on our side, whom shall we fear? We must turn our eyes upon the Lord Jesus and begin to stand still and wait. As we allow Him to fight our battles for us, we are able to wait for Him to bring the victory. The battle is never easy or enjoyable, but when the Lord is in control we will not only be victorious, we can shine His Light to others through our battle. This is when God receives the glory He so rightfully deserves. Allow Him to shine! Regardless of the opposition you face today, have no fear. It’s not your battle to fight! Bible Reading: Isaiah 17-18 | Romans 2 | Psalm 51 Colossians 4:5
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” A missionary is one who has surrendered their life to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without”. Their life’s desire is to go to those who do not know Christ that they to may have eternal life. They live many different lives; but regardless of their situation, they no doubt walk in their field praying that God would open a door of opportunity for them to share the Gospel and the love of Christ. Colossians 4:2-4 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” They live in a variety of living conditions and locations. Some live in the middle of an urban city, some in the middle of a jungle or village. Some can be found in the middle of nowhere, and some in a rural neighborhood. Why? Because everywhere you can possibly go on this earth, people need the Gospel. No “job description” is the same, and it likely changes from day to day. A day full of inviting may be followed by a day of Bible studies. One day they may travel to town to get supplies and visiting their people, the next they may be digging holes on their property while also trying to file reports, and mail prayer letters to their supporters. Why such unpredictable schedules? Because in order to be effective in the ministry, you must be flexible. If you thought a missionary’s life only consisted of teaching and preaching, you probably haven't met very many missionaries. With every task there is a common theme… To show the love of Christ and what He did for them. The truth is, we are all called to be missionaries. We may not all be in what we would call “full time service”, but we all have an opportunity to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without”. There are people all around us who need the Gospel. People need the Lord! Be a missionary today, and walk toward them! Bible Reading: Isaiah 15-16 | Romans 1 | Psalm 50 Acts 13:2-3
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” Here we see two missionaries being commissioned by the church to go and serve. Paul and Barnabas traveled far and wide proclaiming the Gospel. God used their surrendered lives and the church sent them away to reach others. There are many other examples in the Bible of those who surrendered their lives for God’s glory. Esther, Daniel, David, The Disciples, Paul… The list could go on and on. What do all of these have in common? They were willing to be used, and had the right motive. Be willing. Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Though you may not feel called to leave home to reach others, you can still be used if you are willing. Isaiah was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him. Are you? Have the right motive. When Hudson Taylor was the Director of the China Inland Mission, he asked missionary candidates, “Why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?" He received several responses: "Because Christ commanded us." "Because millions are perishing without Christ." And many others explaining why each of them wanted to go as missionaries. Hudson Taylor then responded, "All of these motives, however good, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing: namely, the love of Christ." The Love of Christ makes the missionary’s duty a delight. What is your motive for serving? Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This command is not reserved for only those in “full time ministry”. We have all been commissioned by our Saviour to reach others. We cannot do this on our own, but He gives the power! We must go. We must teach. We must reach. Remember today that we have been commissioned! Bible Reading: Isaiah 13-14 | Revelation 22 | Psalm 49 Matthew 20:16
“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Have you ever known someone who always wants to be first in line? When dinner is called they are the first to fill their plate. When they meet another car at the drive thru they wouldn't even dream of allowing them to go first for fear they might have to wait for their French fries. They won’t hold the door for someone and allow them to get ahead of them in line at the Post Office. Faces may be flooding your mind, or maybe you even feel a little convicted. Jesus used the Parable of the Labourers In The Vineyard for us to learn how to be a servant. Those that were hired in the eleventh hour were paid the same amount that those hired the third hour. The eleventh hour labourers were paid first. When the third hour labourers saw this, they assumed they would receive more money since they had worked all day. They were wrong, and they began to murmur among themselves against their employer. The ones that worked an hour received the same pay as those who had “borne the burden and heat of the day”. Our flesh wants to sympathize with those who had worked all day long and yet received the same pay as those who barely broke a sweat. Can we not relate with their hurt feelings? Sure, we all can; but we should not let that prevent us from serving. Jesus was teaching His disciples and us today that we should have a heart to serve others. Jesus had a servant’s heart. He is our Ultimate Example of a Servant. He even washed the feet of His disciples. How many feet have you washed other than your own? We have opportunities every day to show the love of Christ by serving others. It is a Biblical principle to allow others to go before you. Do not allow your hurt feelings of the past to keep you from serving. Start today and strive for last place when it comes to serving. God promises us in His Word that He will bless us when we put others first. Bible Reading: Isaiah 11-12 | Revelation 21 | Psalm 48 Matthew 4:19
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Follow. The first command to the Disciples. The Lord Jesus did not tell the men to follow someone else, He told them to, “Follow me”. The Creator of the very earth they walked upon told them to follow Him. Those that obeyed showed their faith in Jesus immediately. They knew nothing about the Man, yet they were compelled to follow Him. What great faith these men had, which must have been why Christ chose them. He was not looking for the most talented or skilled, only the most willing. The same is true today. When the Holy Spirit tugged on our hearts through the power of His conviction, He told us to follow Him. Praise God for the faith He gave us to believe and put our trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. Some of the disciples were fishermen by trade, yet Jesus changed the type of fish they sought after. They may have still caught fish in the sea to sustain them, but they desired the fish of men after they followed Him. The Lord also desires for us to be fishers of men. There is no greater joy than that of leading someone else to the Lord. If this is something you have not experienced yet, it is not too late. God only desires you to be willing, and He will use you for His glory. The greatest tool in winning souls for Christ is simply sharing with others what Jesus did for you. Tell someone of the difference Christ has made in your life. God only wants us to be willing to be used by Him. May we give our lives for His glory, and submit our will to Him today. Mark 8:34 “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Follow Him today. Bible Reading: Isaiah 9-10 | Revelation 20 | Psalm 47 I Kings 19:11-12
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” Elijah looked at the wind, the earthquake, and even in the fire; yet, the Lord was not in any of them. It was not until Elijah listened to that “still small voice”. It was so powerful that he covered his face with his mantle and went out to stand at the opening of the cave. The Lord had gotten his attention, and was now about to speak to Elijah. Instead of looking for signs around him, Elijah began to listen. Once he heard and acknowledged the “still small voice” he was then able to hear what the Lord had for him. Wonder what we miss in our daily lives as Christians because we are looking for God to give us signs and wonders of what He would have us to do instead of allowing ourselves to be still and listen for His direction? We can trust in the Lord and allow Him to direct our paths, but in order to hear His direction we must stop and acknowledge Him while patiently waiting for Him to direct our paths. As Elijah stood with his mantle wrapped around his face at the opening of the cave, God asked him, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” It wasn’t that God didn’t know the answer. He simply wanted Elijah to answer honestly, and He desires the same thing for us today. Are we looking or listening for God’s direction today? Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God” Bible Reading: Isaiah 7-8 | Revelation 19 | Psalm 46 Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Trust, n. 1. To have confidence in; reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, justice, friendship or other principle of another person or thing. We can have confidence in our Saviour! In the big things and all the little details, we can trust Jesus for He knows what is best. All throughout the Scripture we find reasons we can trust in Him. There are countless examples from the lives of His children and promises that He will always be there to answer our call and place our trust in Him. Trust In Him When You Don’t Understand. Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Trust In Him When You Need Deliverance. Psalm 37:40 “And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” Trust In Him When You’re In Trouble. Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Trust In Him Because His Word Is True. Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Trust In Him All The Time. Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Trust in Him with all your heart today. Don’t depend on what you think you know. Acknowledge that He knows what is best for you and your situation. Allow Him to direct your paths in accordance with His will for your life. Regardless of your situation, you can trust in Him. Bible Reading: Isaiah 5-6 | Revelation 18 | Psalm 45 James 4:8
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” God not only wants us to draw nearer to him, He promises that if we do, He will draw nearer to us. If we take one step, He takes one too. He wants us to seek Him by faith, and He rewards us by revealing more of Himself to us. In order to get closer to Him, we must rid ourselves of the sin in our lives. We must cleanse our hearts and our habits. It can be painful to change what you do or who you hang around, but it is necessary if we are sincere about getting closer to God. Matthew 15:8-9 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Many people say they want to get closer to God. Their lips say one thing, but their actions say another. God calls this double minded, and unstable. Actions speak louder than words. Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” Psalm 73:28 “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” The Psalmist realized that it was good for him to draw near to God. If it was good for him, it is surely good for us as well. Let us put our trust in Him today as we make every effort to draw nearer to Him as we proclaim His Gospel. Remember His promise, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” Draw nearer to Him today. Bible Reading: Isaiah 3-4 | Revelation 17 | Psalm 44 Psalm 55:1-5
“Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.” When the workers in the offices of the Twin Towers reported to work on the morning of September 11, 2001 they had no idea of the events that would unfold after 8:46am that fateful day. They had woken up just like any other Tuesday. Once the hijacked planes turned around the eternal fate of thousands of Americans was about to begin. The passengers aboard the four planes, the employees at the Pentagon, the pedestrians and tourists beneath the Towers, just like the employees within the buildings, never expected the day of terror they received. Within seconds their lives and the life of our nation was forever changed. Our hearts pained, and the terror of the unknown flooded our minds as we learned our country was under attack. Fearfulness. Trembling. Horror. As people rushed out the buildings, first responders rushed in trying to save as many as they could. The days following unveiled a unity of our people and our need for God that our country had not seen in many years or has since. Many saw their need for a Saviour because of their experiences on that dreadful day. God can use any situation to point others to Him. The world around us today is full of fearfulness, trembling and horror. Many wake up daily with the fear of not knowing what will befall them before the sun goes down. We do not know how a day may unfold, but we serve the One Who is in control of everything. We have the Solution to every problem, yet we often refuse to rush in, like the first responders, amidst the terror around us and tell of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Use every opportunity to point someone to Jesus, our Ultimate First Responder. Bible Reading: Isaiah 1-2 | Revelation 16 | Psalm 43 |
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