I've been slowly working my way through studying the book of Daniel this month (I say slowly because I just finished chapter 3 this morning!). God has been speaking to me through it - this morning He got my attention twice, so I am going to attept to put what He said to me down here.

Chapter 3 is the story about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and the fiery furnace. A very familiar story right? And yet God spoke through it twice to me today! (A side note here - a bunny trail if you will - Do we oftentimes miss what God wants to say to us because we think we know the story inside and out because it is so familiar? I challenge you [and myself] this year to read the Bible with fresh eyes, like we have never read it before and see what God will will teach us). Back to today, the first time God spoke to me this morning was through verses 17-18, which say, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of the blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O King, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (NASB) Wow!! What confidence!

Do we really believe this like those three teenagers did? Oh, sure we say we believe it, but do we really? One of the books I am going through while studying Daniel is one that I used with my son when I was home-schooling him in grade 7. It's called, "Youre A Brave Man, Daniel" and is written by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt. They say it like this: "God is able to deliver us from hard times, from sickness, and from death, but sometimes God chooses to let us go through these things to fulfill His purpose for our lives and to make us more like Jesus. Have you ever known someone who had cancer but was healed? How about someone else who had cancer and died? Sometimes God delivers us from the fire, sometimes He brings us through the fire and then sometimes He delivers us into heaven. God is God, and He chooses the outcome.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego trust God, even if it means they will go into the blazing fire, even if they die. They choose whom they will worship. They counted the cost of belonging to God. They chose to serve Him no matter the cost.

Look at their words: 'Let it be known'. They are saying "This is what we believe. These are our covictions. We have made up our minds. We will not change our beliefs. We will not conform. We will not do what everybody else is doing. We will not bend the knee. We will do what God says is right" (pp. 64-65).

What about us? Have we "made up our minds" to obey God no matter what. This is the second time that someone in the book of Daniel "made up their mind" to do what God wanted and both times they were blessed because of it.

Are we willing to live our lives for God and not for other people or even ourselves?

The second thing that God spoke to me about is in verses 24-25. It says, "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, 'Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?' They replied to the king, 'Certainly, O king.' He said, 'Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.'"(NASB) We must remember that God (Jesus) is with us through everything we go through, good and bad. He understands what we are going through and He is there to guide us through it, no matter the outcome.

One more observation from verses 28-30, "Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yeilded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.' Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon." (NASB)

God honored their faith. Nebuchadnezzar realized that there is no God like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego's God. Also, they prospered in the province of Babylon. "When you go through the fire and God purifies you to become more like Jesus, then He can use you in ways you never dreamed possible" (Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt, pg. 71).

So, what about it? Are we going to be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and stand up for our God and do what He wants us to do or are we going to just go along with the crowd and do what they do?

The saying is "Dare to be a Daniel"; I think it should be "Dare to be a Daniel, a Shadrach, a Meshach and an Abed-nego." Will you take the dare? Will I?

A New Year

I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I have posted something!! Shame on me! It's not because I haven't been learning things from God, because I have. I also can't believe that it's been a year (tomorrow) since my New Year's Resolution blog...but it has! Did I keep my resolution from last year? Yes and No. Let me explain. You might remember I said I usually don't make New Year's resolutions because of the failure rate of them, but I was going to change the kind of resolution I would make (except for reading my Bible through in a year, which I completed on Christmas day). Last year I made the resolution to become the woman God wanted me to be. I noted that I would fail, but that was alright as long as I started again...I did fail...many, many times; but unlike other times I would admit my failure and begin again (often the same day). So, did I fail? Sure; but did I succeed also? Definately! Am I a better woman today than I was a year ago? I think I am, although some people may disagree with me. Did I learn from God...yes, over and over again! So, am I going to continue my resolution this year? Yes I am!
I hope this time next year I can sit down and say that I am closer to becoming the woman God wants me to be than I am right now! I have learned to love God deeper this year and in the process have learned to love others and my life more. However, God is not finished with me yet! I just hope that I am always willing to learn.

My Bible reading this year is taking a different approach. I am going to read the New Testament through as many times as I can and study a different book of the Bible each month. I think I am going to start with studying the book of Daniel in January.
I am also going to try to write at least twice a month, so keep coming back to see what God is teaching me!