What your enemies plan for evil

 

The beautiful story of how God rescued three Jewish men out of a fiery furnace, is found in Daniel 3.  The very specific way in which God orchestrated this miracle always amazes me.

These three friends of Daniel were called Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they refused to bow down to a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar to worship him, and consequently were thrown into a fiery furnace as the King’s decree demanded. 

But here’s the thing.  The whole incident up to here was planned by their enemies.  We read in verse 8 that they reported the men’s non-compliance to the King with malicious intent, telling Nebuchadnezzar that these Jews paid no attention to him.  This resulted in Nebuchadnezzar reacting with rage and fury, and hearing that the men still refused to worship his statue from their own lips, he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.  It was so hot that the men who threw the three friends into the fire were themselves killed by the flame and sparks from the fire. 

The Bible tells us very specifically that the men were wrapped in all their clothes round about and then bound up, this was of course so that the moment they entered the fire, they would become human torches. 

But God!  He appeared in the fire with them; He let the cords that bound them be burned off so that they could walk in the fire with Him; and when the King called them out, nothing about them were in the least burnt or singed, or even smelled of the fire.  A spectacular turn-around of events!  I am sure that their enemies were absolutely astounded – they had seen their carefully hatched-out plans work perfectly up to now, I mean the King had been informed of their transgression of his decree; he had sentenced them to certain death in the fire; they had watched them being thrown in said fire!

And the worst outcome of all as far as the enemies of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were concerned, was that the King then promoted them!  We read about this in verse 30. 

So my friend, are you in a fiery furnace because you refused to compromise your faith and enemies then stood up against you?  Rest assured, exactly what they planned for your evil, God will use and turn it around for your good!

Priscilla Koegelenberg

 

9 January 2022

©2022Copyright All rights reserved P. Koegelenberg

Two storms

Matthew 14 tells the story of a storm.  It is the well-known telling of Jesus walking on the water, and Peter attempting to do so as well.

What I find interesting here, is that the disciples were in the perfect will of God and yet experienced this storm:  Let me show you this in two verses:

Firstly in verse 22 we read: “ Then He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side.”  And then we read in verse 24:  “But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs distant from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them.”

They had heard God speak, and had obeyed Him.  And still, here was the storm!  It was not the same as happened to Jonah.  God sent that storm precisely because Jonah had also heard His voice, but had actively chosen not to obey God.  The storm was meant to force Jonah to get back on track.

Are you finding yourself in the same predicament as the disciples? Are you also finding yourself in a storm, even though you are doing what God told you to do? Then take Romans 5 to heart, my friend!  In verse 4 we read that our sufferings produce fruit, if we allow our attitude about them not to stand in God’s way!  Specifically, our troubles produce firstly endurance – and this test Peter failed when he got into trouble out on the water because he did not endure long enough! 

Secondly, this learning to keep on going produces strong character in that it develops our faith and integrity. Another test the disciples failed that day, because when Jesus came to the rescue, they reacted with terror!

And thirdly this mature character produces a joyful and confidant hope for an eternal view, a heavenly focus, in us.

So assess the storm you are in:  Have you disobeyed God somewhere along the line?  Then repent and accept His forgiveness and ask Him to show you how to navigate out of these circumstances.

If the storm is without a known cause to you:  work on your attitude!  Do not immediately assume God is somehow punishing you….or feel that God is unfair….that you do not deserve this….Romans 5 says you should be joyful in your circumstances, (not because of your circumstances), because soon these beautiful fruit mentioned above will start showing and you will be better off for it!

5 January 2022

©2022Copyright All rights reserved P. Koegelenberg

The angel's picture

 

Many years ago I saw a picture in a book, drawn for the author by an angel explaining what atonement means, to him.  Reading Ps 5:11-12 brought this picture to mind again.

In verse 11 we read:  But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.  The Amplified says even more clearly:  You make a covering over them…

This picture showed the word “Atonement” written in a rainbowlike form , and underneath it the word “sin” and then underneath that the word  “us” appeared with arrows pointing upward; and above the Atonement rainbow the word “God” was written with an arrow pointing downward.  The explanation of this is that we are covered by Jesus’ atonement like a canopy over us, and this is what God sees when He looks down from heaven on us:  He only sees the atonement, not the sin.  But unfortunately, when we look up to God, we most often only see our sin seperating us from Him. 

My friend, what a difference it would make to our day if we woke up with this picture in mind, and walked in the truth it portrays!  We would walk upright, knowing that we are in right standing with God.  We would be filled with joy, knowing that God is not condemning us.  We would praise Him all day long, secure in the knowledge that we are accepted by none other than the King of the Universe!

And I have not even added verse 12 yet, which reads:

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

I likened this ‘surrounding’ to bubble wrap the other day.  Now imagine yourself walking under an impenetrable canopy, completely wrapped in bubble wrap so nothing can get to you from all around you either!  Add to this the fact that in Deuteronomy we read that God’s strong arms are also underneath us – well, we will then be a walking representation of  Ps 56:11  “in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?”

27 December 2021

©2021Copyright All rights reserved P. Koegelenberg