Belonging to God
Bible reading: Daniel 3:14 – 27
Step 3: we made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all of my life and will to Christ care and control.
“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:8)
Our decision to turn our will and our lives over to God will be tested. By making this decision we set our lives at odds with the crowd. This will include most of our old friends and maybe even members of our family. We should expect some heat and not be shocked when it comes. But God will be with us in the fire, to preserve us and bring us through.
In the book of Daniel we meet 3 young Jewish men who were taken captive and relocated to a strange land. They entrusted their lives to God and refused to worship the idols of Babylon. The result was so strong that when they were threatened with death by fire they replied, “if we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us to us: and he will deliver us… But if he doesn’t, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstances serve your gods.” They were promptly bound with ropes and thrown into the furnace. The King was amazed at what he saw. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted, “I see 4 men, unbound, walking around in the fire, and they aren’t even hurt by the flames! And the 4th looks like a God!” (Daniel 3:17 – 18, 25)
God was right there, taking the heat with them. The only thing they lost by turning their will and their lives over to him was the ropes and bound them. Those were burned up in the flames. When we’re challenged because of our decision to turn our lives over to God, we can expect God to be there for us, too.
Nothing can bind us when God wants us to be free.
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