O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:15-18).
Conviction. What does that mean? It means to live a fully persuaded life, a life so convinced of God’s truths that you are willing to take radical steps of faith because you believe those truths. It is a persuasion that allows you to be willing to step into a FIRE, fully convinced that if God chooses not to save you, He is still good.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were so convinced of God’s goodness, they were willing to go into a blazing furnace because of their conviction.
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:15-18).
The fire in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s life can symbolize difficult things we are going through; a death of a loved one, a divorce, a cancer diagnosis, or many other trials.
When an unexpected fire rages in your life, how do you respond? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have taken the easy way out. They could have bowed down to the idols. They could have chosen not to take a stand for their Faith. Instead, they bravely entered the fire, knowing their good Father was with them.
This kind of faith demonstrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego showed they were fully convinced God was who he said he was. They knew that he was all-powerful, all-knowing, and could choose to deliver them. And they were fully persuaded that whatever God chose to do, he was still good. Most importantly, they knew that HE was with them right there in the fire.
As the fire raged and these young men were not burned, King Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed in astonishment, “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 3:25 NKJV). God is fully with us in the fire. And He promises that we will be neither consumed nor forsaken. So let us put our trust in Him just like these three heroes of the faith, proclaiming with conviction, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him” (3:18).
![Has a post on social media ever made you immediately frustrated? Maybe you even started to think ill of the author of the post. You feel your chest tighten and wonder, how could they have said that? You are so mad you want to click the unfollow button.
[save for reference for when you’re offended]
An offense can happen when someone sins against us, or even if someone just rubs us the wrong way! Often, it comes out of a “right versus wrong” mentality. We get offended and harbor bitterness. Wounds and resentment create rifts and divisions and we find ourselves clutching our anger tightly in our fists to prove we are right.
It’s okay to feel upset when you are offended or sad, but we can’t let bitterness take root. Instead, we must be quick to forgive. As believers, holding a grudge inhibits our ability to reconcile. And when we avoid reconciliation, we miss out on what God wants to do in and through us.
Typically for me, offense stems from pride or self-righteousness. I have received some pretty offensive comments over time, and my feelings do get hurt. But as Christians, we need to be able to “overlook an offense” just like it says in Proverbs.
This passage says it is “one’s glory to overlook an offense.” #chasingsacred (read the rest of the article on @hosannarevival)](https://www.chasingsacred.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
We are given many opportunities daily to affirm our faith. I pray for the strength and conviction to respond rightly as He would have me do! Thanks, Mikella❣