Faith And Its Power

The dictionary explains faith as meaning belief,thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is
confidence, trust, security, assurance, and etc.able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from
Throughout the Bible there are many examples ofyour hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want
faith. Let's look at one of these example and see foryou to know, O king that we will not serve your
ourselves the power and the example of true faithgods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
that is given us.Then Nebuchadnezar was furious with Shadrach,
First look at Psalm 27:1 it says The Lord is my lightMeshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward
and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is thethem changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven
stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?times hotter than usual and commanded some of the
Now look at Psalm 34:19 it says A righteous manstrongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach,
may have troubles but the Lord delivers him fromMeshach and Abednego and throw them into the
the all; he protects all his bones, not one of them willblazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes,
be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of thetrousers,, turbans and other clothes, were bound and
righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems histhrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command
servants; no one will be condemned who takeswas so urgent and the furnace so hot that the
refuge in him.flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up
Look at Psalms 91:9 it says If you make the MostShadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three
High your dwelling-even the Lord, who is mymen, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then the
refuge-then no harm will befall you, no disaster willKing Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in
come near your tent. For he will command his angelsamazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there
concerning you to guard you in all your ways; theythree men that we tied up and threw into the fire?
will lift you up in their hands, so that you will notThey replied, "Certainly, O king.
strike your foot against a stone. You will tread uponHe said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the
the lion and the serpent. Because he loves me, saysfire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like
the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for hea son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar then approached
acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and Ithe opening of the blazing furnace and shouted,,
will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the
deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfyMost High God, come out! Come here! So Shadrach,
him and show him my salvation.Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and
Now look at Daniel 3:1 it says King Nebuchadnezzarthe satraps, prefects,, governors and royal advisers
made an image of gold, ninety feet high and ninecrowded around them. They saw that the fire had
feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in thenot harmed their bodies nor was a hair of their heads
province of Babylon. He them summoned the satraps,singed; their robes were not scorched, and there
prefects, governors, advisers, treasures, judges,was no smell of fire on them.
magistrates and all the other provincial officials toThen Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of
come to the dedication of the image he had set up.Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his
So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him
treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the otherand defied the kings's command and were willing to
provincial officials assembled for the dedication of thegive up their lives rather that serve or worship any
image that King Nebuchadnezzare had set up, andgod except their own God. Therefore I decree that
they stood before it. Then the herald loudlythe people of any nation or language who say
proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do,anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and
O peoples, nations and men of every language: AsAbednego be cut into pieces and their houses be
soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save
lyre,, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fallin this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach,
down and worship the image of gold that KingMeshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Who ever does not fall(Babylon is Iraq today)
down and worship will immediately be thrown into aIn closing look at Joshua 24:14 it says Now fear the
blazing furnace.Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of thethe gods your forefathers worship beyond the River
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, alland in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the
the peoples, nations, and men of every language fellLord seems undesirable to you, then choose for
down and worshiped the image of gold that Kingyourselves this whom you will serve, whether the
Nebuchadzezzar had set up. At this time somegods your forefathers served beyond the River, or
astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king liveliving. But as for me and my household, we will serve
forever! You have issued a decree, O king, thatthe Lord.
everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute,Now look at Isaiah 7:9 it says The head of Ephraim is
zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fallSamaria,, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah'
down and worship the image of gold, and thatson. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will
whoever does not fall down and worship will benot stand at all.
thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are someLook at Jeremiah 1:8 it says Do not be afraid of
Jews whom you have set over the affairs of thethem, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares
province of Babylon -Shadrach, Meshach andthe Lord.
Abednego-who pay no attention to you, O king.Yes, I can say that faith and its power is mighty!! In
They neither serve your gods nor worship the imagethe example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego it
of gold you have set up. Furious with rage,was their belief, confidence, trust, security, and
Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach andassurance in God that brought them threw the
Abednego. So these men were brought before theflames and without a mark on them. This only holds
king, and Nebuchadzezzar said to them, "Is it true,his word true, If you make the Most High your
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do notdwelling-even the Lord, who is my refuge-then no
serve my god or worship the image of gold I haveharm will befall you, no disaster will come near your
set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn,tent. For he will command his angels concerning you
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, ifto guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in
you are ready to fall down and worship the image Itheir hands, so that you will not strike your foot
made, very good. But if you do not worship it, youagainst a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the
will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.serpent. Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will
Then what god will be able to rescue you from myrescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges
hand?my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
Shadrach, Meshachl and Abednego replied to the kingI will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and
"O Nebuchadnezzar,, we do not need to defendhonor him; Do not be afraid of them, for I am with
ourselves before you in this matter. If we areyou and will rescue you, declares the Lord.