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Good people of God and friends, you are welcome to Inspired Word Outreach. Today, I will be speaking to you about how you can build your faith and trust in God.
I want you to understand that no matter what you have experienced or are currently going through, even if you think that God has forsaken you or that He is being unfair to you, you should know that God works in different ways that man does not understand. All you need are three things: patience, faith, and trust in God.
Today, I will be discussing how you can build your faith and trust in God by citing an example from the Book of Daniel, chapter 3. In your own spare time, read from verse one to the last verse of Daniel, chapter 3. I will pick some verses from this chapter to illustrate how you can build your faith.
Let’s start from verse 12. In verse 12, it says that there are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded you; they do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image you have set up.
In verse 13, look at what happened. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him.
In verse 14, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"
In verse 15, he said, "Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the image I have made. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God who shall deliver you out of my hands?"
Nebuchadnezzar was confident that no god could deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from his fury and anger.
In verse 16, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up."
They declared their faith in God and their willingness to perish rather than bow to the image. They believed God could deliver them, but they were prepared to die if He chose not to.
In verse 19, the Bible says Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his visage changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times more than usual.
In verse 20, he commanded his most mighty men to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. The furnace was so hot that the flames killed the men who threw them in.
In verse 24, Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered, "True, O king." He replied, "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."
Nebuchadnezzar approached the mouth of the furnace and called out, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here."
These men were not afraid of the king because they knew there was a King far above Nebuchadnezzar— God. They obeyed God’s commandment not to bow down to any graven image, even at the risk of their lives. Their faith and trust in God were rewarded when He delivered them from the fire.
In verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They have defied the king’s command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses made a dunghill, because there is no other god who can deliver in this way."
The king then promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
No matter what you are experiencing or going through right now, do not think that God has forsaken you. God knows what He is doing, and He will deliver you at the right time. Just as He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He will deliver you if you exercise faith and trust in Him.
This is the message of faith and trust in God for you today. Share this video with your friends and family so they can also learn how to build their faith from the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and learn to trust in the only true God who can deliver them from all trials and troubles.
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