The theme was “Even If” based on Daniel 3:17-18. I love the story of the three Hebrew men who were threatened with being thrown into the fiery furnace. Their crime? Refusing to bow down to the golden image King Nebuchadnezzar had erected on the Plain of Shinar. Think about it. There are all these officials, maybe even hundreds of them from across the kingdom, gathered for what they thought would just be some sort of celebration. While there, they are told they must do one simple thing. When the trumpet blows, they must bow down. The three Hebrew men refused. They knew that to do so would be the same as worshiping the king and they couldn’t do that. They just couldn’t go against their conscience that way even if it cost them everything.

I wonder what I would have done if I had been in that situation. Would I have stood firm for my belief in the one true God. I would like to think so. That makes me think. Today, in my society when everything is shifting to a more secular, even anti-God, viewpoint about everything from where we came from to what current culture deems acceptable, am I willing to stand firm for what the Bible teaches? It may make me the odd man out. I may be accused of all sorts of things like bigotry or self-righteousness or being narrow-minded, behind the times, who knows what all.

I guess the real question is, where is my focus? If my focus is on what the world thinks then I will be tempted to give up things I have believed all my life to “fit in.” If my focus is on God and trusting Him then I can handle being odd man out even if it costs me my life. My prayer is that I will never forget that it isn’t about what men think, it’s about what God thinks. I pray we each have the strength through Christ to stand firm for His Truth even if the world turns their back on us. Help me Father to stand firm for You like the three Hebrew men did, even if.

SRM

Deliverance.  What does that word bring to mind? In the Bible, we read of the deliverance of the three Hebrew boys from the fiery furnace, Daniel from the lion’s den, Peter from prison, Paul from a shipwreck. I think you get the idea.  True, deliverance from physical harm is good. But we know that as Christians even if we aren’t delivered physically in the end it will be okay. I’m thinking of martyrs who died for their faith. They are resting waiting for Jesus to resurrect them.

Deliverance can be a physical thing. But there’s another kind of deliverance that is even more critical. And that’s deliverance from sin, from temptation. Maybe you already figured this out but it only recently occurred to me that this same verse (Psalm 34:7) applies to being delivered from Satan’s attempts to interrupt our relationship with Jesus. Deliverance from temptation is critical in our spiritual growth. So the next time you face temptation, claim Psalm 34:7 as your shield against Satan. I promise Jesus will deliver you.

SRM