The holidays have come and gone and now the normal routines of life have begun taking their place back in our lives. I noticed during this past holiday season that it is very easy to pass off any troubles or distractions because of all the awesome things that are usually going on, but sooner or later those troubles and snares are going to catch up to us, and no matter how small or big they are, they are no fun.
It's times like these that truly test our faith as Christians, truly walking through fires to refine us into the men and women that God has called us to be. But I have found that it is during the hottest infernos that I feel helpless, useless, and alone. Now I can also say in firm and complete confidence that God has blessed me with an amazing family and true, Godly friends in my life to help those feeling flee quickly. But none the less, no matter how solid of people we have around us or if we are completely alone, we are human and we will feel these feelings of weakness from time to time. It was earlier this week as I sat in a coffee shop doing some reading that I realized how short-sighted and ignorant those feelings truly are. The story in Daniel 3 where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were sentenced to death in a fiery furnace. While reading this passage I was seeing so many parallels to our day to days lives in today's society, whether at work, from other people in our lives that may not know Christ or the everyday media; they call us to worship other things and put God at a distance in our lives rather than putting Him at the right place in our lives and that is nothing short of FIRST. I loved their answer to the king when he condemned them for not following what the other men and women of the day were doing (worshiping the statute that King Nebuchadnezzar had put up for the to worship). They said in verses 16-18: "... "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up , O king. But even if He doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
Wow! that blew me away, to stand in front of the person who is solely responsible for leading others away from God and telling him that the true God is strong enough to save them from a burning furnace. I started thinking of the my life, what if I took that stance more often in my life, no not more often but in EVERY situation. What would that look like, what kind of fiery furnaces would I be condemned to? Whatever it would be, if I kept my eyes on the Lord and it was His will to make it out of it alive, I trust that He would keep me safe and unharmed just as He did with the three men that the king sentenced to death in Daniel.
But it all came full circle for me this past weekend while I was doing an outreach with my bible study through our church where we went out into Columbus and reached out to the homeless with food, clothes, blankets, etc. Me and my friend realized that there are so many other things to worry about than a rough day at work, or getting in an argument about something trivial with someone in your life when we have bothers and sisters of our, fellow children of God doing all they can to survive on the streets. At one stop we chatted with the gentlemen for a few mins, I feel terrible because I cannot remember his name, but i truly saw the faith that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have had in them; he said that even though he lived on the street he knew Christ as his Lord and Savior and that when his time was done, or when Christ comes back, he would be going to heaven. He also said that he knows this is the only hell he will have to encounter. I stood there with what probably looked like a ridiculous smirk/smile on my face thinking to myself: "What the hell am I worried about making this person I work with happy, or making sure I look a certain way or that person may think differently? Here is a fellow brother of Christ living with only the clothes on his back and the items in his bag, and he has a better outlook on life with Christ than I have on some of my best days."
It was just the kick in the butt I needed to open my eyes to the world outside of my comfortable little world. But not just for the people in need for better lives,(that is a very important thing to use our faith for, is showing these men and women with little to nohting that God is still there, walking though their "fire" with them. And on a side note, I encourage all of you to go and serve those who are lesser than you and do it whole heatedly for God and for His renowned), but for everyone single one of us that no matter what your fire may look like keep your eyes on Christ. Whether it is a job, lack of a job, something you don't have that you have wanted for so long, an addition or temptation you feel you cannot escape; whatever that fire may look like, having a never dying focus and always seeking Christ, knowing that He is in control of your life and that He will deliver you out of that fire just as He did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Keep your eyes on Him, for He has always been with you, He has never left you, and He has never forsaken you. In those moments of fear and uncertainty, look to Christ for He NEVER MISSES!
- God Bless
Anthony
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