I am sharing a devotion from Pastor Greg Laurie that has some advice about making our New Year's resolutions. Have a Happy New Year! Blessings from Faith UMC.
Three Sore Thumbs
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk
through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not
consume you.”
Bow or burn. That
essentially was the choice that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced. King
Nebuchadnezzar had a 90-foot golden image of himself erected in Babylon and
then commanded everyone in the kingdom to bow down to it. If they didn’t, they
would burn.
But sticking out like three sore
thumbs were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who stayed on their feet. They
knew from the first two of the Ten Commandments that God told them specifically
not to bow before another god.
When King Nebuchadnezzar heard
about what they did, he gave them one more chance. But they still refused. They
were from Nebuchadnezzar’s court, so this was an embarrassment to him
personally. He was so angry that he gave the order for the furnace to be heated
seven times hotter. Then his soldiers tied them up and threw them in.
However, Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t
believe his eyes when he looked in and saw four—not three—figures walking
around in the fire. I believe this was an Old Testament appearance of Christ
walking with them.
Nebuchadnezzar called them out of
the furnace and said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He
sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him” (verse 28 NLT).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had the resolve to make their stand because of
the decisions, commitments, and resolutions they made years earlier.
Do you have character? Are you
compromising as a Christian? Are you doing what is right, even in the little
things? Every Christian will face the temptation to compromise. But character
is not made in a crisis; it is only exhibited.
As you approach the beginning of a
new year, it’s a good time to have some resolution—not a bunch of hard-to-keep
resolutions. It’s a good time to have purpose, commitment, and a dedication to
doing the right thing.
(Devotion from Greg Laurie)
