Originally published Wednesday, 20 December 2017.
Believing God is able is one of the most important things to hold on to in our faith walk. So in this week’s study, we take a closer look at this key to unshaken faith and it is my prayer it unlocks a boldness in you to stand for God you never knew you had.
The third lesson we learn from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is that we have to know that our God is able. That He has the power to deliver us and that He alone has the power to take over our situation and turn it around at any given moment. Do not allow this situation to cause you to think for even one second that your God is not able to deliver.
For this reason Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego trusted God for their deliverance. They knew their God could do it. They knew where their help came from. Now will He do it is up to His sovereignty and His will. But if He can do it is not even in question. I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon in a sermon on this text, he says:
Now; beloved friends, if any of you are in great difficulty and trouble, tempted to do wrong, nay, pressed to do it, and if you do what is right, it looks as if you will be great losers and great sufferers; believe this: God can deliver you. He can prevent your having to suffer what you suppose you may; and if he does not prevent that, he can help you to bear it, and, in a short time, he can turn all your losses into gains, all your sufferings into happiness. He can make the worst thing that can happen to you to be the very best thing that ever did happen to you. If you are serving God, you are serving an Omnipotent Being; and that Omnipotent Being will not leave you in the time of difficulty, but he will come to your rescue. – Charles Spurgeon
This is the point in our struggling where we question if God is with us. We question if He really loves us like He says He does. And when that doubt starts to seep in it makes the temptation to bow down to the idols of this world that much more appealing. I mean everyone else is doing it. But we have to realize that we are bowing down to false idols that can do nothing for us but distract us for a moment and then we are right back to where we started. See these false idols give false hope. When we struggle with loneliness we can make a relationship an idol. When we struggle with pride we can make our social media following an idol. When we struggle with insecurity, we can make our job title or salary an idol. But none of these things are able to grant true security and satisfaction like our God. At best they place a Band-Aid on a bigger problem. We must not become tricked into thinking that the things of this world can do what only God can do. See everlasting love, joy, peace, satisfaction and fulfillment are God things. And if we look for these things outside of God we only fool ourselves.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could have bowed to temporarily satisfy the king. They could have bowed and thought “I don’t really mean this, God knows my heart”. But what about next time? And the time after that. The idols of this world will always take more than you want to give. This is why I believe Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego make no excuses and stand strong in their resolve never to bow to another God than their own. I ask you. Are you bowing to a false idol? It does not have to be a golden image made by a king. It could be your career, a relationship, an idea of how you think your life should be. An idol is anything you place trust in over God. And we place ourselves in positions where we make false idols when we do not truly believe that our God can truly satisfy us, that He alone can defend us, and truly love us. We make idols when we don’t fully hold on to the truth that our God is able. Whatever it is that you need God is. And it is up to us to believe that. I love this quote from Priscilla Shirer from her book God is Able. She says:
We know what God can do, but we do not place our faith in what He can do, we place our faith in who He is. – Priscilla Shirer
When we place our faith in our God we have the courage to say what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said to their struggle: I know God can do it, I know that He is able and for that reason I honor Him even as I look down this fiery furnace. But if for some reason He does not do what I know He can, I will still worship Him, because my praise goes far beyond what God can do, it’s all about who He is.
Thanks for watching Beloved! Now let’s keep this conversation going. Comment and let me know, do you have a favorite video study from Beloved Women? If so, which one is it?
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