"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. "
1Peter4:12-14, 19
" “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver."
"Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” "
Daniel 3:20-29
Do you want to hear the good news first, or the bad?
Let me start with the bad: None of us will escape going through the fire.
We will all undergo trials, various hardships, and sufferings, and are probably, even as you read this. If we will be overjoyed when His glory is revealed, it will be after we have participated in His sufferings. The Word says in Malachi that the Levites will be purified and refined by fire-troubles and trials-and we are like Levites-called to be priests, prophets, and kings-since we are called to be imitators of the Lord Jesus.
The good news: He will pull us through. We know that "judgement will begin first with the house of God"... just as Daniel's friends, who stood their ground unwaveringly even facing death in the furnace (how apropos), we will pull through it, too, and like them, the Lord Jesus will be right there with us, because He is always with us.
As Nebuchadnezzar declared: "No other God can save in this way..."
Now the challenging part: Do not let bitterness take root, either against the Lord or another person, when you are going through these things, no matter how devastating or difficult the situation. The Lord will not give you more than you can bear, even when we are stretched to what seems like the breaking point. He told us, promises us, that He will never leave us or forsake us...a crown of glory awaits us as we hold fast, as we endure to the end we are saved. Love one another...and never stop loving, worshipping, and adoring the Lover of our souls, even when in the natural you might feel like you are surrounded by darkness.
Tears may come at night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. "
1Peter4:12-14, 19
" “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver."
"Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” "
Daniel 3:20-29
Do you want to hear the good news first, or the bad?
Let me start with the bad: None of us will escape going through the fire.
We will all undergo trials, various hardships, and sufferings, and are probably, even as you read this. If we will be overjoyed when His glory is revealed, it will be after we have participated in His sufferings. The Word says in Malachi that the Levites will be purified and refined by fire-troubles and trials-and we are like Levites-called to be priests, prophets, and kings-since we are called to be imitators of the Lord Jesus.
The good news: He will pull us through. We know that "judgement will begin first with the house of God"... just as Daniel's friends, who stood their ground unwaveringly even facing death in the furnace (how apropos), we will pull through it, too, and like them, the Lord Jesus will be right there with us, because He is always with us.
As Nebuchadnezzar declared: "No other God can save in this way..."
Now the challenging part: Do not let bitterness take root, either against the Lord or another person, when you are going through these things, no matter how devastating or difficult the situation. The Lord will not give you more than you can bear, even when we are stretched to what seems like the breaking point. He told us, promises us, that He will never leave us or forsake us...a crown of glory awaits us as we hold fast, as we endure to the end we are saved. Love one another...and never stop loving, worshipping, and adoring the Lover of our souls, even when in the natural you might feel like you are surrounded by darkness.
Tears may come at night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.
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