January 18, 2012
In Daniel 2:47 - Nebuchadnezzar says, "Your God is the greatest of all gods, the LORD of all kings...". Then in Daniel 3:1 - it says Nebuchadnezzar built a 90 foot idol for the people to worship. He had the head knowledge of who God was but he did not have a surrendered heart. It was "your" God, not my God. He issued an order for everyone to "bow down" to what he "set up." Anyone who refused to obey would be thrown into a blazing furnace. It was Nebuchadnezzar's pride, arrogance, and need to be in control that ruled his life and made him decide to build a 90' idol and require everyone to bow down to it whenever they heard the music play.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow down to the false god. When Nebuchadnezzar found out he was furious. He confronts them. He tells them "in a moment" you will hear the music again. If you bow down all will be well. If you don't you will "immediately" be thrown into the furnace. They were faced with a split-second decision. If their core beliefs were shaky they would have wavered. But they knew what they KNEW! Like the old hymn says: "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed until him against that day," and they stood firm. The king asks, "What god will be able to save you from my power then?" Valid question. Common sense says if you play with fire you get burned. The laws of nature says fire destroys and consumes. So, logically speaking he was right when he asked, "What god will be able to save you?" The answer is: "a" god can't, but THE God can! The same God the king recognized as the "greatest of all gods, the LORD of all kings." Yes Nebuchadnezzar—someone even greater than you!
I love how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded. "We do not need to defend ourselves to you." Wow! I love that. They didn't have to answer to man. They answered only to God. They go on to say, "If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king. But even if he does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
That is our absolute belief as well. We will not compromise God's ways in an attempt to save ourselves from "the storm." We trust in His power to save us and protect us. But even if He doesn't, we will still serve Him.
Nebuchadnezzar became angry. So angry that he had the fire made even hotter. It was so hot that it killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. They were thrown in the fire, but "the fire had no power" against them. They were not harmed in any way. Their hair wasn't even singed. They didn't smell of smoke. Nothing! Daniel 3:27 - "The fire had no power." (KJV)
The king (man) had them thrown into the fire bound, but God released them. The king looked and saw four men walking about in the fire. They were totally free and totally protected. The king said, "Servants of the Most High God, come here!" When they walked out everyone gathered around them, and they KNEW! These three men trusted God; stood strong in their faith; were willing to lose everything; and God provided. It wasn't about Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego and who they were. It was about whose they were. It was about GOD. The king issued an order to anyone from any nation or language. The order said: Do not say anything against the God. Daniel 3:29 - "No other god can save his people like this."
Then they will know.
From Life Lesson:
Addendum: 9/9/15 ~ I still haven't read the 40+ pages of the judge's ruling. I will try to get that done this weekend sometime. Our lawyer has sent us a summary of what was said, but I still need to read the actual ruling.
I've told several people lately that we are out on the edge where either God is going to show up in a big way and protect us—or—we going to look like the biggest idiots and naive fools of all time. Call us crazy, but WE STILL ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT GOD SENT HIS PROMISES TO US THROUGH THE MOST UNLIKELY OF SOURCES - Jane E. Wolfe. And that HIS promises are just that—PROMISES! We believe. We don't know the how, when, or where, but we BELIEVE!
A Settlement Conference has been scheduled. I can't imagine my sister or brother-in-law being willing to settle. Since the very beginning we have offered them many different settlements and they have flatly refused them all. Last year, they refused the guaranteed pay out of approximately $150,000 that is in escrow. Why would they settle for that now? That is the only thing we can offer them. We will not willingly pay them a single dime just to be free of them and thereby appear to admit guilt. We are innocent of ALL their accusation, and we will not take the easy way out to try and save ourselves in our own power. Our faith and trust is in the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who is OUR God as well. We are all in. Either God shows up—or we fail.
9/11/15 ~ This morning, before I started my entry for Daniel 5, I finished writing part of this addendum and then went for a morning walk with my husband. It was a little before 7:30 in the morning. As we walk we always pray the scriptures Jane told us to read. We had just finished praying Psalm 150—an entire Psalm about praise—when we rounded the corner and started walking west. We were in the middle of Psalm 8 when I looked up and directly ahead of us was a beautiful half rainbow in the sky. I said, "Look! A rainbow!" There didn't appear to be any reason for a rainbow. The sky was clear with just a little low layer of haze. Sunrise was at 7:20 but was not visible because of the woods behind us. I had just written about believing God's promises and literally just minutes later a rainbow—a symbol of God's promise—was in the sky before us without any apparent reason.
Amazing. The rainbow lasted until we got to the top of the hill and were ready to turn and start heading east again, and then it was gone. We continued to pray and praise the LORD for His protection and promises to us. When we got back to the eastern end of the loop, my husband left for an appointment. I continued on to go around the loop a second time. As I turned the corner to start heading west again I looked up and this time there was a beautiful FULL rainbow spread out in the sky before me. I stopped and stood there and just looked at the beauty of God's promise before me. How did this happen? It was amazing the first time, how did it just happen a second time?!? I called my husband and told him that now there was a full rainbow. This rainbow again lasted until just moments before I made the top of the hill and was ready to turn and go back east again, and then it was gone. Amazing. Just absolutely amazing. Thank you, LORD, for the reminder. Your promises ARE true. We praise YOUR name. We believe!!
Next Entry: Daniel 4:1–37
In Daniel 2:47 - Nebuchadnezzar says, "Your God is the greatest of all gods, the LORD of all kings...". Then in Daniel 3:1 - it says Nebuchadnezzar built a 90 foot idol for the people to worship. He had the head knowledge of who God was but he did not have a surrendered heart. It was "your" God, not my God. He issued an order for everyone to "bow down" to what he "set up." Anyone who refused to obey would be thrown into a blazing furnace. It was Nebuchadnezzar's pride, arrogance, and need to be in control that ruled his life and made him decide to build a 90' idol and require everyone to bow down to it whenever they heard the music play.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow down to the false god. When Nebuchadnezzar found out he was furious. He confronts them. He tells them "in a moment" you will hear the music again. If you bow down all will be well. If you don't you will "immediately" be thrown into the furnace. They were faced with a split-second decision. If their core beliefs were shaky they would have wavered. But they knew what they KNEW! Like the old hymn says: "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed until him against that day," and they stood firm. The king asks, "What god will be able to save you from my power then?" Valid question. Common sense says if you play with fire you get burned. The laws of nature says fire destroys and consumes. So, logically speaking he was right when he asked, "What god will be able to save you?" The answer is: "a" god can't, but THE God can! The same God the king recognized as the "greatest of all gods, the LORD of all kings." Yes Nebuchadnezzar—someone even greater than you!
I love how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded. "We do not need to defend ourselves to you." Wow! I love that. They didn't have to answer to man. They answered only to God. They go on to say, "If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king. But even if he does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
That is our absolute belief as well. We will not compromise God's ways in an attempt to save ourselves from "the storm." We trust in His power to save us and protect us. But even if He doesn't, we will still serve Him.
Nebuchadnezzar became angry. So angry that he had the fire made even hotter. It was so hot that it killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. They were thrown in the fire, but "the fire had no power" against them. They were not harmed in any way. Their hair wasn't even singed. They didn't smell of smoke. Nothing! Daniel 3:27 - "The fire had no power." (KJV)
The king (man) had them thrown into the fire bound, but God released them. The king looked and saw four men walking about in the fire. They were totally free and totally protected. The king said, "Servants of the Most High God, come here!" When they walked out everyone gathered around them, and they KNEW! These three men trusted God; stood strong in their faith; were willing to lose everything; and God provided. It wasn't about Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego and who they were. It was about whose they were. It was about GOD. The king issued an order to anyone from any nation or language. The order said: Do not say anything against the God. Daniel 3:29 - "No other god can save his people like this."
Then they will know.
From Life Lesson:
"The LORD will tear down the proud person's house." (Proverbs 15:25) God hates arrogance. He hates arrogance because we haven't done anything to be arrogant about. Do art critics give awards to the canvas? Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools, so they get no credit for the accomplishments... why does God have anything to do with us? For his name's sake. No other name on the marquee. No other name up in the lights. No other name on the front page. This is all done for God's glory." ~ From Traveling Light by Max Lucado
Then they will know! Then ALL will know!
Addendum: 9/9/15 ~ I still haven't read the 40+ pages of the judge's ruling. I will try to get that done this weekend sometime. Our lawyer has sent us a summary of what was said, but I still need to read the actual ruling.
I've told several people lately that we are out on the edge where either God is going to show up in a big way and protect us—or—we going to look like the biggest idiots and naive fools of all time. Call us crazy, but WE STILL ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT GOD SENT HIS PROMISES TO US THROUGH THE MOST UNLIKELY OF SOURCES - Jane E. Wolfe. And that HIS promises are just that—PROMISES! We believe. We don't know the how, when, or where, but we BELIEVE!
A Settlement Conference has been scheduled. I can't imagine my sister or brother-in-law being willing to settle. Since the very beginning we have offered them many different settlements and they have flatly refused them all. Last year, they refused the guaranteed pay out of approximately $150,000 that is in escrow. Why would they settle for that now? That is the only thing we can offer them. We will not willingly pay them a single dime just to be free of them and thereby appear to admit guilt. We are innocent of ALL their accusation, and we will not take the easy way out to try and save ourselves in our own power. Our faith and trust is in the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who is OUR God as well. We are all in. Either God shows up—or we fail.
9/11/15 ~ This morning, before I started my entry for Daniel 5, I finished writing part of this addendum and then went for a morning walk with my husband. It was a little before 7:30 in the morning. As we walk we always pray the scriptures Jane told us to read. We had just finished praying Psalm 150—an entire Psalm about praise—when we rounded the corner and started walking west. We were in the middle of Psalm 8 when I looked up and directly ahead of us was a beautiful half rainbow in the sky. I said, "Look! A rainbow!" There didn't appear to be any reason for a rainbow. The sky was clear with just a little low layer of haze. Sunrise was at 7:20 but was not visible because of the woods behind us. I had just written about believing God's promises and literally just minutes later a rainbow—a symbol of God's promise—was in the sky before us without any apparent reason.
Amazing. The rainbow lasted until we got to the top of the hill and were ready to turn and start heading east again, and then it was gone. We continued to pray and praise the LORD for His protection and promises to us. When we got back to the eastern end of the loop, my husband left for an appointment. I continued on to go around the loop a second time. As I turned the corner to start heading west again I looked up and this time there was a beautiful FULL rainbow spread out in the sky before me. I stopped and stood there and just looked at the beauty of God's promise before me. How did this happen? It was amazing the first time, how did it just happen a second time?!? I called my husband and told him that now there was a full rainbow. This rainbow again lasted until just moments before I made the top of the hill and was ready to turn and go back east again, and then it was gone. Amazing. Just absolutely amazing. Thank you, LORD, for the reminder. Your promises ARE true. We praise YOUR name. We believe!!
Next Entry: Daniel 4:1–37
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