BELIEVE



Image result for The work of God is this...to believe

This verse of Scripture should cause us to think!
Our mentality is "it is so much easier to DO something than to just TRUST God".  That is why in the present day we find many more workers for God than workers who cooperate with Him.  The cooperating part means sitting with Him, knowing His thoughts, determining to act as the Holy Spirit leads us, speaking what the Father would say, etc.  To believe in the One He sent is to believe and trust in Jesus; who now uses the Holy Spirit to direct our steps! 

Question.  Are you totally convinced that God will do what you cannot do?

One of my most favorite stories in the Bible is found in Daniel chapter 3.  It has to do with the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  Raised as good Jewish boys, they are removed from their homeland and taken to Babylon as prisoners, to serve King Nebuchadnezzar.  Even though in the midst of this pagan nation, they, along with Daniel, refuse to defile themselves.  They maintain their obedience to the God of their Fathers even as slaves in this foreign land.  The King is full of himself and makes a statue 90' high!  He makes it a law that all who pass by must bow down and worship his statue. 

Let's pick up the story in verse 8, " But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

They were so bold!  But they also KNEW who they believed in and knew they could trust Him with their very lives!  The King was so upset he made the furnace 7 times hotter than normal, so hot his guards who threw in the three boys perished!  But not them.  They were rescued because of their faith!  They were fully persuaded that their God was the only God worth worshipping! In the end of verse 28 the King says, "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."

Wow!  What a confession out of the mouth of this wayward King.  I want it to be said of me that "she was fully persuaded her Jesus was the only way, the only truth and the only way of life worth pursuing!"  Lord increase my faith to believe you for anything and everything! 

What do you believe God is able to do in your life?

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