Get ready for the best story ever told. Are you ready?
Once upon a time ….. they lived happily ever after!
How about that? What do you think? Wasn’t that great?
What? You don’t like it? Why not? Oh, I see. It didn’t have a middle.
Well then, how about this story?
Once upon a time there were 3 men that disobeyed the wicked king’s command to worship a false god. So they got invited to a barbecue-theirs! After being thrown into the fiery furnace, the king decided to see how the ribs were doing. Much to his surprise, he saw 4 men in the flames walking around-with the 4th man having the form like the Son of God. The king then commanded the 3 men to come out of the fire. And, when they did, they did not smell like smoke and no part of their body or clothes was singed by the fire. Then Nebuchadnezzar praised God, and promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and then, they lived happily ever after!
A much better story, but why?
It’s easy. God was praised after the miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace of our 3 heroes.
So, here’s the deal. No praise without a deliverance. No deliverance without a test. No test without a test subject. And guess who gets to be the test subject? That’s right, you.
So the next time you find yourself in a “fiery furnace,” just remember what a great story you will have to tell after your deliverance. Praise God!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Once upon a time I didn’t have any stories to tell. Thank-you for the tests you give me. Thank-you for visiting me while I am in the fiery furnace. Thank-you for delivering me so that You are glorified by my stories. Thank-you for letting me live happily ever after with You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Wikipedia: Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Look-It Up:
The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is told in the 3rd Chapter of Daniel.
Free Bonus:
In 1939, Fred Leary recorded this song about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Here is Johnny Cash’s version of the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.
The identity of the 4th person in the fiery furnace is the subject of much theological debate. The two most common candidates are Michael the archangel and Jesus Christ. Whatever the answer, the 4th person was most certainly a divine being.
Website Links:
- Pray 4 Deliverance
- http://www.pray440.com/pray-4-deliverance/
- The Pray 4·40 List
- http://www.pray440.com/the-pray-440-list/
- Zondervan
- http://www.zondervan.com/
- Nebuchadnezzar
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebuchadnezzar_II
- Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadrach,_Meshach,_and_Abednego
- Fred Leary’s song about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
- https://youtu.be/xa4QSweFQYE
- Johnny Cash’s version of the story
- https://youtu.be/rLT1_PBPdhY
- Michael (archangel)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel)
- Jesus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2015 by Reece B. Morrel, Jr. All rights reserved worldwide.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Notes on Pray 4 Deliverance: