Friday Devo
Scripture:
Daniel 3:14-18
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Commentary:
3:18 But if not. There was no doubt in the three men’s minds as to God’s power to save them (see 2:20–23). Yet the way in which God would work out his plan for them in this situation was less clear. God’s power is sometimes extended in dramatic ways to deliver his people, as when he parted the Red Sea for Israel on the way out of Egypt (Exodus 14); at other times, that same power is withheld, and his people are allowed to suffer. Either way, they would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s image.
3:18 The willingness to die for the faith anticipates Christ’s willingness to die (John 10:17–18) and the willingness of Christians to be martyrs (Acts 7:55–60; Rev. 6:9; 12:11).
3:18 The willingness to die for the faith anticipates Christ’s willingness to die (John 10:17–18) and the willingness of Christians to be martyrs (Acts 7:55–60; Rev. 6:9; 12:11).
Questions:
- The final takeaway on Sunday was that there is POWER in the NAME of JESUS. His name has the power to heal and save. It is the name above every other name. The example in Scripture is that He does move in response to faith, whether it's yours or someone else's. That's not to say if you have enough faith you'll be healed... that's a poison that some false teachers spew and is not how it works. Many of us lack the faith that God can still do the impossible so we fail to pray for it. When was the last time you prayed for the impossible? Do you truly believe God could do a miracle in your life?
- God also moves according to HIS SOVEREIGNTY. Can God still heal? Yes. Does He always? No. It comes down to trust. God is in control, on the throne, and knows what He's doing. And what He is doing is ALWYAS for our ultimate good and for His glory. Just like in Daniel 3, we need to develop a faith that believes God can do the miracle, but trusts that He knows best at the same time. This is an "even if" kind of faith. Here is a prayer we need to adopt: "You CAN, you’re GOOD, but EVEN IF you don’t, you’re FAITHFUL! " Our job is to pray like He can, believing that He will, and trusting that He knows best. Do you have an "even if" faith? Is there an area of your life where you've become bitter towards God or questioned Him? What do you need to surrender to Him?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would believe God for the impossible.
- That you would develop an "even if" kind of faith.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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