PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

You may not think that today's blog topic is a way to "prepare the way of the LORD" but I believe it is and we can learn a lot from this biblical account. True, devoted worship to our God gets His attention. Faith is the currency of heaven. It says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The Faith and Resolve of the Hebrew Boys

I believe the faith and resolve of the Hebrew boys in Daniel chapter 3 pleased God and prepared the way for the coming of the LORD into their situation. Daniel and his Hebrew brothers understood an evil type of control of narcissism and idol worship under the rule of the Babylonian system with Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow.

There was a resolve in these Hebrew young men who were of great excellence, and had the spirit of God with them. They had a resolve to stand, not waiver, not bow. They did not compromise what they believed in. They did not compromise who they worshipped. They did not compromise in any way, and it got them thrown into the fire. Their declaration to the authority was clear:

"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."

Biblical Account Comparison

To better understand the dynamics of this account, we can look at the contrasting experiences of those involved:

Character / Group	Action and Resolve	Outcome
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego	They did not bow to another, they believed and stood at all costs!	The Lord would come into the fire with them; they did not know the fourth man in the fire was going to show up.
King Nebuchadnezzar	Nebuchadnezzar's own plans turned on him, losing even some of his own men in the fire.	Eventually this evil king was driven out and he eventually praises God.

Modern Fiery Trials

Let's see how that mirrors our lives on earth these last three years. We are coming up on three years of when the thief exposed himself and we watched with our own eyes as he hijacked and sabotaged a critical election in our nation. Another critical decision is coming up. Don’t think a year is that far away. Start praying NOW! The heat is already being turned up in our nation and it continues to be turned up on President Trump.

We have to know that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not know how the situation with the fiery furnace would end but they had faith, trust and hope. They believed in their God and they would not bow. Think about that for a second, they did not know the fourth man in the fire was going to show up. They did not know the Lord would come into the fire with them. We don’t even know if they had these types of experiences personally before this. This was a fiery encounter at its finest.

The Power of God in the Fire

Because of their faith and worship in the one true living God, HE, GOD ALMIGHTY did not fail them. We have to believe that HE will continue to show up for us in the midst of the fire. Seven is a divinely perfect number! It’s a glorious number. God is in the fire with us!

Don’t underestimate the power of God to show up within our fiery furnace! He will encounter us with His glory and His Deliverance. We must continue to stand in Jesus’ name.