Scaredy Cat

Last night after dinner we had our family devotions.
We have a great kids devotions book that some friends gave us years ago. All of the kids enjoy it and it has often help spark some great conversations.

Last nights devotion was the story of the Fiery Furnace and the friends who stood together for God against Mr. Nezzer. (If you have kids you'll get that Veggie Tales reference and the fact that the whole time we were reading I couldn't get Rack, Shack and Benny out of my head!)

I grew up in church, this is not a new story to me(-but if you didn't I encourage you to read it in it's entirety in the book of Daniel chapter 3-)but that is the amazing thing about God's Word. It's alive! A story you grew up hearing can suddenly give you a new insight.

What stuck me last night was not only did these three men stand up against the king, which takes courage and conviction, and not only did they have faith that God would be on their side, they also had faith enough to know that even if they didn't see God work they way they wanted they were still to do what was right.

In verse 17 *the Lessons from Aisle 12 paraphrase* they tell Nebuchadnezzar to toss them in the furnace because God will rescue them.
But vs 18 is what struck me.
It begins with the words, But if not.
In other words if God doesn't rescue us right now, you better know that we still believe in the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
They were willing to stand up, knowing it meant death and still believe that even if God didn't choose to rescue them at that very second, He alone was King and Ruler over all and they still believed.

Amazing.

I'll confess that I am often brave-when it's easy.
It's easy to stand for what you believe when you can see your deliverance coming.
But, it's altogether another thing to face the unknown and still be firm in your faith.

Of course, the story doesn't end there.
They were tossed in the furnace, they walked with an Angel of the Lord.
And not only were they delivered, they were delivered beyond their expectations.

In Vs 27 it says that not even a hair had been singed and their clothes weren't burned. They didn't even smell like smoke.

Their faith not only rescued themselves, but others believed too.
Not only were they delivered they were promoted. Vs.30

Oh, that I would have faith not only to walk through the fire, when I know a blessing is coming, but that I would be willing to go into the fire knowing my deliverance may not come in my timing or it may not look like I thought it would.

God's Word is alive and active!

I know this isn't my usually kind of post-and if you made it through-thanks for reading-praying a blessing for you today!