God Preserves

Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of gold and placed it in the centre of Babylon. He made a decree that when music was played, that everyone in the kingdom needed to bow down and worship the image. The challenge was that there were some Jewish men in captivity, who would not bow to any other God, but the Lord. When the king learnt of their defiance, he was furious and summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king threatened to throw them into a furnace of fire, if they refused to bow to his image. They did not bow and the king had them thrown in. In his rage, the King had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than normal. The men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fire were actually consumed because of the heat. As for the Jewish men, not only were they not burnt, but the king saw them walking around in the furnace.

In addition, the king saw a fourth man whose countenance was like God. To everyone’s amazement, the three men came out of the fire unharmed. Not one hair on their head or body was even slightly burnt and the men did not smell like smoke. The king was so amazed that he praised their God and decreed the Lord is the true and living God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were promoted as a reward for their faithfulness and boldness in serving God. You will not look like what you have gone through and God will not allow you to look like where you have come from. God’s grace is sufficient and he is able to keep us from falling and to keep us faultless before his glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1:24).

God is able to keep you through fire and tribulations and people will not be able to tell that you have been through a storm. They that trust in the Lord shall be like mount Zion that cannot be removed but abides forever (Psalm 125:1). Persecution can cause us to feel ashamed and the enemy wants us to experience disgrace. The intention is to try to assassinate our characters and steal our reputation and credibility. It cannot work when we put our trust and confidence in Jesus.

Though you go through the fire it will not consume you and through the flood, it will not overcome you (Isaiah 43:2). God will keep your mind in perfect peace and preserve your body from the effects of stress and sickness. “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more” (Isaiah 54:4).

A.P.-Y.