Over the last few posts we have been looking at reasons why God would allow His people to go through the fiery trials that Christians often find themselves entangled in, and are in no way immune from.
One reason He allows us to go through these tough times is to get our attention, when we publicly claiming to live for Him, but privately, well…not so much. In other words, God is giving us a wake up call.
There are times he allows Satan a season to oppress us. Now, it’s vital to understand that Satan doesn’t have free reign during these times. He can do no more than God allows him to do. And, even though to us these times may seem like they are more than we can bear, God allows Satan’s shenanigans so He cannot only build up and purify our faith, but to show us just how powerful our inner strength truly is. Our inner strength, as we should all know, is God Himself.
Finally, God will allow us to travel through these devastating valleys of despair to quench the inner fires that can inflict substantial damage to our faith. These fires are fueled by our own pride.
Did you know that the original sin was pride?
Yep! It wasn’t a murder. Or, a lie. Or, even an act of adultery. It was Lucifer, basically exalting himself within his own ego.
“For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to Heaven, and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the congregation far away in the North, I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’” Isaiah 14:13-14
Notice, if you will, Satan never SAID anything thing out loud, at least at first. He thought it. He thought he could be more powerful than God. He purposed in his heart that He would be greater than God.
Satan, formerly Lucifer, once one of God’s most exalted Cherubs, sat in Heaven day dreaming of all the things he wanted to do, all the glory he wanted to receive. He kept thinking; “I will! I will! I will!” He seems to have forgotten that God is the great; “I AM! I AM! I AM!”
It’s a clear cut case of the creation wanting to mold the Creator into his image, instead of praising and proclaiming gratitude for the One that made him. How guilty are we of that in today’s world?
How often do we cry out to God when the seas of life are rough and the waves of despair are crashing over us? Yet, when we are sailing along through life on smooth, calm seas, how many times do we pound our own chests saying; “Look what I’ve done! How soon we seem to forget that every good thing in our lives comes from God! (James 1:17)
Once in the ancient city of Babylon, there was a king named Nebuchadnezzar. He was tyrannical, ruthless, and merciless, keeping Jerusalem under siege for what could have been up to two years or longer. Afterwards, he had King Zedekiah’s two young sons put to death, forcing the King to watch his own children’s slaughter, before gouging out Zedekiah’s eyes assuring that his children’s murder was the last thing he would ever see. (2 Kings 25:7)
He was also an egomaniac, if not a megalomaniac, building a 90 ft “golden” statue of himself on the Plain of Dura, and commanding that all should worship it under the penalty of death. (Daniel, Chapter 3)
But as evil as Nebuchadnezzar was, God kept revealing Himself to the Babylonian King, mainly through the Prophet Daniel. But perhaps his most personal encounter with God came as the result of his ordering the execution of three devout Jewish men.
Nebuchadnezzar had built this image of himself on the Plain of Dura and ordered the entire Babylonian Province to attend the opening dedication. The rules were simple. When the music started playing, everyone was to fall to the knees and worship this weird looking statue. Those who refused were to be thrown into the fiery furnace.
When the time came, Nebuchadnezzar counted down;,” Three , two, one, strike up the band!” In an instant, everyone was on there knees, except three lone figures that stood defiantly against the afternoon sun. To Nebuchadnezzar’s surprise though, it was three of his four most trusted advisers who were blatantly disobeying him!Their names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We know them better as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Nebuchadnezzar was furious! But because of their past loyalties to the King, he decided to give them another chance. The three young Jewish men again adamantly refused to comply to Nebuchadnezzar’s orders. Now enraged, the King ordered them to be thrown into the furnace that he had commanded to be heated seven times hotter than normal!
Moments later, Nebuchadnezzar would behold a sight that would shake him to his very core. Instead of three men roasting in the fire, there were now four!
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his [d]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:24-25
Nebuchadnezzar had seen Jesus in the flames with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo! Not only that, but moments later the three men walked out of the fire COMPLETELY unscathed!
Nebuchadnezzar was dumbfounded! From that moment, at least in his words, Nebuchadnezzar gave praise to God, and decreed that nothing bad could be said about, or against the God of Israel.
But while his words might have praised God, his actions were still centered on self. You see, anyone can acknowledge God with their mouth, and even mean the proclamation you are making. But acknowledging there is a God, and following Him in your heart, well, that’s an entirely different scenario.
So, while Nebuchadnezzar publicly proclaimed his belief in God, it’s doubtful at this point if he practiced any sort of worship and praise of Him. This seems to be evident by what happened to the Babylonian King next. About a year later, Nebuchadnezzar was walking the roof of his palace that overlooked Babylon, and he began talking to himself out loud.
“The King spoke say, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” Daniel 4:30
Nebuchadnezzar took ALL the credit for the wonders and riches of Babylon. He proclaimed that the great city was built by HIS might, and to immortalize His glory. Even the newest Christian, with the most immature faith, should have understood that this was a BIG no-no!
Within the hour, Nebuchadnezzar was struck with a form of mental illness that made him think he was a beast of the field, like say…an ox. For seven years Nebuchadnezzar would remain in this demented state. When recovered, he , once more and seemingly from the heart, gave glory and praise to God. And, for a season, God restored his kingdom back to him.
It’s ironic in a way. The three Jewish men went through a brief trial of real fire because of their obedience to God’s Law, and their faith.faith. But they also endured the flames to demonstrate the power of the one true God to a pagan king. The tyrant who threw them into the flames suffered through a trial of insanity that lasted seven years in order to build his own faith. Yet, the end result for both was that their perspective faiths were strengthened.
James said that we should count all of our trials with joy. I don’t think he meant that we should be happy about our sufferings. No. I think he was saying if your are going through a stretch of tough times, take heart that God loves you enough to let you go through them.
God loves you enough to put you in a situation where only He can bring you through unscathed. He loves you enough to show you where your life needs improving, or where your faith needs strengthening. He loves you enough that He wants to bring you into a Holier state where you will one day be welcomed into Heaven for all of eternity.
The bottom line is the fact that God loves you! Period!
Every single person in the Bible who ever made a difference in peoples lives, and in planting the seeds of faith, went through tough times. Some trials were more intense and lasted longer than others. But in every single instance, every one, they came out of their storms better than when they went in. Even if that “better” was going to be with the Lord Himself.
If you find yourself in a rough patch right now, don’t fret, panic, or give up. Steady yourself against the headwinds of the circumstance and put your faith solely in the hands of the One who loves you. The One who died for you, so you can be saved. Ask forgiveness if you need to. Worship if you want to. Praise because you need to. Just keep your eyes on God at all cost!
Take heart in the promise that He always has eyes on you! In the times of calm seas, and in mist violent of storms. He is always with you!
LG&LG! (2.0)
LG&LG! (2.0) 