Daniel 3:8-30
Physically bowing down to a man-made god is such a strange concept to me--that is, until the last few days. As I mentioned yesterday, I've been in Thailand this week. The day we arrived, we took a short tour of the city. We didn't have to drive far before we saw our first of many temples and shrines complete with people bowing, praying and offering sacrifices. Kind of sounds like what was going on in Daniel 3.
Being in Thailand has been an eye opener for me this week. As I observed people worshiping the many wooden, resin, bronze, etc. idols, I was saddened--first for the many lost people of Thailand, but also for me because I saw a fervor to their worship that, if I'm honest, I don't always show toward God. That realization hurt.
So what's keeping us (you and me) from fervently and passionately bowing to the One true God who is worthy of our worship? Tami W.
Wow this is powerful Word. Its amazing the faith the three man had. They knew without a shadow of doubt that God would deliver them and they didn't need reassurance from someone else. Many people have pits and FEAR gets in the way of their FAITH. At least often times for me it has and does. I have embarked on a new opportunity that I believe God presented before me. And Fear has at times gotten in the way of my Faith. But after reading this passage, it reminds me that it is paramount that I trust and believe God WILL do what He says He WILL do IF I believe and obey HIM. Its time for me to put my FAITH to work, move myself out of the way and so that God may fulfill His promises and others shall see and know that He IS God. I encourage all of my Power by 4 family to do the same. Be Blessed.
Nothing should ever stop us from from fervently and passionately bowing to the One true God. Unfortunately, we fill our lives with so much that we do not take time out for God. By the end of the day we are tired. Then, when we face difficulties we ask ourselves where is God. I am learning how to get on my face before God, by laying on the floor face down, praising Him for loving me and also for what He is doing in the lives of others. I must admit, I don't do it as often as I should. It is very important to start our day right by spending time with God, seeking His face for a new day. He wants to have a relationship with us.
I agree with you. My wife and I were having devotions the other day and we talked about how sad that if we (humans) knew a time and place where Jesus was said to come, we sure would be living totally different; Having that in mind daily would shape are lives into trying hard to do whatever it takes to get ready before that date arrived. Those people are so fervent because they can see and touch what they are bowing too and I think God made us in the beginning (Adam) to see and fellowship with Him as He would come in the cool of the day and visit with Adam and when sin crept in, it too took our spiritual eyes away, leaving the physical which can not see God yet still longs to see before worship. So we are not that moved because we don't see God (and we can not with our physical eyes). But Jesus came and gave the spiritual eyes back to us in our hearts and through faith we can see God and fellowship with Him. He said to Thomas that blessed are those who do not see yet believe. If we exercised our faith 100%, (rather than being moved by what we want to see or feel or what we want to see Him do for us) which would please God I think the fervency of worshiping God would come natural.
Pride has kept me from fully bowing down to God and giving Him all that is in me. Over the last few years my wife and I have really been put through the fire due to sleep issues related to my children, especially my older one [name removed], as he is hyper-vigilant due to drug exposure.
Please pray my family will be released from these sleep issues.
As we have been put through the fire, our pride has been broken, and we have really been trying to draw close to the Lord and humble ourselves before Him.
This P4 program is great! This program has helped me in so many ways. The fellowship we have through each other is Great. God is using us to support and pray for each other. To teach and to energize our faith through each other. Truely this program is a blessing. I have learned so much through us exchanging our viewpionts and how the God's Word help us through each other. Robert I will keep your faimily in my prayers.
Self! When I think about Daniel 3, the courage, the passion, the faith that is shown is awesome. No matter what happened, the believers of God, The One and Only True God, would not be shaken and bow to an idol.
It never ceases to amaze me how many false religions worship their gods. They bow down and are even willing to die for what they think is right. Unfortunately, many God-Fearing, Christians compromise because they do not want to cause friction in a situation. They will not hold fast to the promises of God in front of others. There are the closet christians who act like the world and only show faith when in the privacy of their quarters. There are many places where one cannot even own a bible and we have the ability to owe it, read it, learn about it, meditate on it and spread it and many of us miss the mark.
I pray that believers start following The Manual and giving God our best. Even on a good day, we are not worthy of what God has done for us. May we bless God more and give Him our all. He gave us His Son, we owe Him us.
Robert,
Thanks for sharing about your son's sleep issues. We'll definitey pray for and with you for a complete release from this. Tami W.
In this world we have to try to have unwavering Faith. We must trust God and believe Him. He has never changed. He is still the same as He was even before He created the heaven and the earth and us. Satan tries to knock us down when adversities come into our lives but we have to remember that NO ONE can pluck us from His hands if we believe in Him only. Yes, it can be hard but keep connected to God by His Word. He is not going to forsake us or leave us on our own.
Robert D. I pray for you, your wife and the rest of the family. Recently, I read a devotion by Emilie Barnes and in this particular devotion she states that "our children are continually reaching out to mom and dad to see if they really love them". In the thoughts for action she recommends, that we write a note to our children letting them know how much we love them and give specific traits you like about them, It works. The other day I wrote to my 25 year old son and he was so moved and I am glad I did it and will continue to let him know that we love him. I shared this with a friend and when she wrote her son she was so ecstatic at his pesitive response. The next day (yesterday) he was going to work and the car skidded on the ice. His phone was down and a passerby helped him. He called AAA but they did not turn up. In the end his mother had to go get him. His words were "mom, I only got through this because of God". Our children are a reward from God. Let's tell them of the things we like and pray about it. God will answer. Read Psalm 27 and just keep praying and Keep in His Word.
Thanks for all your positive feedback. They really help! God bless you all.