5 Minutes a day / 5 Days a week

with God

Dan 3:16-18

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."

If you are like me, you have gone through or even going through hard times right now.
Maybe you do not have enough money to pay your bills.
Maybe your spouse has told you that he or she wants a divorce.
Maybe there was a death in your family.
Maybe you lost your job.
Maybe you have been diagnosed with a crucial illness and only have months to live.
Maybe your teenage daughter told you that she is pregnant.
We could go on and on, but what ever is going on in your life right now, have you given up on God?
Think of today's devotional verses. We all know the story of the fiery furnace and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. We know this as three men who refused to bow down to the false idol and where thrown in the fiery furnace and came out with their clothes unburned and they didn't even smell like smoke.
However, there are three little words that we tend to glance over, or completely overlook. What are those three words? They are in the beginning of verse 18.

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."

"But if not" What if the Lord doesn't deliver you from the trial you may be facing today, will you give up and turn you back on Him?

"Well that's easy for you to say because you probably have it made"

Even as I write this, this very day I have looked at all our bills and wonder, how will I ever pay these, and feed my family, and buy gas for my car so I can get to work, and on and on. Even due to my own error, I had a check bounce for one of our utilities. Will they turn it off? I keep thinking that I need to give up on this website and just go out and get a second job, what does it matter if I don't see my wife and kids, as long as I can provide for them (That is the flesh speaking and not my heart to teach God's word and share the gospel.)
Then the Lord reminded me of these verses and the question comes to mind, "What if He doesn't provide, will I really give up?"
If you are wondering what the answer is, I think you are reading it right now, because if I gave up, I would not be writing this right now.
But what about you? Can you say that same thing?
Read verse 18 again, and then speak it out in faith that no matter what the Lord does in your life, you will not bow down to the world and worship it. Rather you will bow down and worship our Creator who loves you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus for you.
Jesus did not give up on you when He was on the cross; do not give up on Him!

E-Mail Home Page