Even If...

By: Jenifer Metzger

Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. We have all likely heard the retelling of their story. These three men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue which resulted in the king throwing the men into a fiery furnace.

But before the king sent the men to their ultimate doom, he gave them one more chance to obey him.

Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship

the gold statue I have set up? Now if you’re ready, when you

hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum,

and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I

made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be

thrown into a furnace of blazing fire— and who is the god

who can rescue you from my power?”

Daniel 3:14-15 CSB

The men knew this was their last chance. They also knew if they didn't obey the king's command, they would die. They could have simply bowed down to the king when the music began and saved their lives.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the

king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you

an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists,

then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire,

and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.

But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king

to know that we will not serve your gods or worship

the gold statue you set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18 CSB

Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego told the king that they had faith God could rescue them from death by fire. But even beyond their faith in being saved was their obedience. They told the king, "Even if He does not rescue us...we will not serve your gods." They had faith God would save them but choose to obey God whether He would save them from an earthly death or not.

Can we say that?

Can we say that we will live for God and obey Him even if He doesn't save us from earthly death or disaster? Can we say that even if God doesn't heal our illness we will still live for Him? Can we say that even if He doesn't provide that financial miracle we need we will still live for Him? Can we say that even if He doesn't rescue us from that difficult situation we will still live for Him?

We have to stop and ask ourselves a few questions. Are we wanting a healing more than the Healer? Are we wanting to be saved more than the Savior? Are we simply wanting God to move in our lives and bless us or are we wanting truly live for Him and grow in our walk with Him?

Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego knew the answers. They knew that even if God allowed their earthly lives to end, they still wanted to obey Him and live their final moments on this earth for Him. Because of their faithfulness and obedience, God saved them.

Now, God doesn't always rescue us. He still could have allowed the men to perish in the fire, then welcome them to heaven with open arms. I would imagine the men would have been just fine with that! God answers our prayers three ways: yes, no, and not yet. Sometimes God doesn't bring the healing or rescuing or saving. Sometimes we still have to face trials and brokenness. Partially because of our own mistakes that have natural consequences, partially because we live in a fallen and evil world, and partially because God is doing a work we cannot see to bring glory to His name. That is why we have to make the decision to be faithful and obedient no matter what may come.

So friend, are you ready to say "even if"?

Discussion:
1. Think of a situation in your life that you have been asking God for help with.
2. Now ask yourself the tough question. Are you wanting that answer more than God? Or do you want God no matter what His answer is?

Names of God Series: Building Your Foundation on the Rock

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Getty Images

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

~Psalm 18:2

In our series on the names of God, we come next to a name assigned to God by David - the name "my Rock". My Bible points out that David proclaimed "the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the power of Saul." If anyone knows what it is like to be forced to rely on God as your only hope, your refuge, shield, and rock, it's David! This name he ascribes to God reminds us that He is our firm foundation, reliable and unchanging.

This proclamation from David makes me think of the words of Jesus found in Luke 6:47-49:

"I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.” 

God is our Rock, our firm foundation, and our refuge. He is our only hope and help in the storms of life. But as Jesus makes clear here, the safety of that refuge, the strength of that foundation, is not automatic. It is not something we are promised with no conditions. We only get to take full advantage of the blessing it is for God to be our Rock and refuge if we are not only hearing His words, but actually obeying them. That is the key. 

So, friend, be sure that you are not only a hearer of the word, but a doer also. And then, when the storms of life do rage, when the waves threaten to topple you over, run to your Refuge, cling to your Rock, and be blessed by your Shield.

"I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.”

~Charles Spurgeon

Reflection Questions:

1) Have you ever viewed God as your Rock? If so, in what ways has He shown up as your Rock during the storms of your life?

2) Would you say you tend to be more of just a hearer of the Word or a doer also?

3) How does knowing God can be your Rock increase your faith and trust in Him?

The Christmas Ancestry

 By: Joanne Viola

 

The commercials have begun reminding us of various gifts we can give for Christmas. It is curious how one such gift is can help one discover their ancestry.

What is it about this time of year that causes us all to want to know our ancestry, where we came from, and the history of our families?

Opening up to read in the Gospel of Matthew, we find that, he too, was interested in ancestry:

“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, 
a descendant of David and of Abraham.” 
(Matthew 1:1, NLT)

Matthew did not take us back to the beginning of mankind. He did not start with Adam and Eve. And this is the only Gospel account which does include the ancestry of Christ.

Ancestry was obviously important as the Old Testament is filled with genealogies and yet, in the most important of all genealogies, Matthew does something entirely different. Why?

“Matthew did not write to tell us about himself. He wrote to give us a picture of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.

 (from The Wiersbe Study Bible, page 1389)

Matthew was writing to establish that Jesus is not only the long awaited Messiah, He is the One who fulfills all of the Old Testament prophecies.

This is a royal ancestry.
And more.
This is an ancestry proving the faithfulness of our God to His Word.

The very names – David and Abraham – are meant to bring us back to two covenants God made with His people.

• God’s Covenant with Abraham. God called Abraham to leave his country, relatives and family, and go to a land which God would show him. He told Abraham that all people would be blessed through him. You can read of this covenant in Genesis 12 and 15.
• God’s Covenant with David. God formed this covenant with King David in which He promised to provide the line of kings promised to Abraham, which would lead to the King of Kings. You can read of this covenant in2 Samuel 7:8-13.

Matthew was making certain all people for all of time would know that God is faithful to His Word. He will do exactly as He said.

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, 
not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” 
(Matthew 5:18, NLT)

 

Reflection: 
Do you ever wonder about the past generations in your family? Are you the first in your family to honor Christ this Christmas or will you be carrying on a family tradition? May you find a renewed joy in being a part of this spiritual ancestry.

 

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

 

Gratitude is Spiritual Warfare

By: Lauren Thomas 

Gratitude is spiritual warfare. 

This November, I made a brown paper tree skeleton. Throughout the month I and my children wrote gratitudes on leaves of different shapes cut from colored paper. It was a fun visual exercise in gratitude, for as the gratitude increased, the tree and background became more and more beautiful, filled with shapes and colors. That gratitude was contagious, for whenever a guest entered our home, my children asked them to “do a leaf” and add a gratitude to the tree. There was so much excitement about giving thanks!

Gratitude is spiritual warfare because it is obedience.

 

Scripture actually tells us that giving thanks in all circumstances is God’s will for us!

 

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

 

Gratitude is spiritual warfare because it resists the devil.

 

One morning, I came downstairs to notice a leaf was torn on our gratitude tree. I felt in my spirit that I needed to pray. My daughter immediately found some tape and repaired it. That week, I had written on one leaf “my mixer and working appliances.” But the night of the torn leaf, our furnace started having issues. With the weather forecasting overnight lows in the 20’s and 30’s F, I saw two options before me: despair or thanksgiving. I chose thanksgiving and trust. In just a matter of hours, a friend from church was able to temporarily fix our furnace!

 

Gratitude is obedience to God. The enemy of our souls doesn’t like obedience. He will try to get us distracted and off track. But when we resist him – and gratitude is one way of resisting him – he will flee from us.

 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 NIV

 

Your gratitude is spiritual warfare. It is obedience. It is resistance against evil. And it protects your heart from the discontentment, materialism, and greed that our culture celebrates. Gratitude is countercultural, Biblical, and powerful.

 

Today, how can you wage spiritual battle by giving thanks?

 

Reflection:

Does gratitude come easily for you? Why or why not?

How can you express gratitude to God today in thanksgiving?

What happens when you express gratitude toward another person?

Keep an Attitude of Gratitude on Thanksgiving

By: Jenifer Metzger

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

Tomorrow we gather together with loved ones to enjoy fellowship and feast. There will be love and laughter. Deep conversations and reminiscing. Football games and parades. Delicious food and desserts. We will have so much to be thankful for.

There will also be messes to clean up, empty chairs where loved ones once sat, and possibly even tension from a strained relationship. So how can we navigate the holiday and keep an attitude of gratitude even during the messes and pain?

Keep your eyes firmly fixed on God. Even though the holiday brings so much busyness, be purposeful to start your day with Jesus. Open your Bible and enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Don't let your day fully start until you've spent time with the Father.

Pause throughout the day to give thanks. When you look over and see Grandma sitting in her chair watching the little ones play, whisper thanks to God for her. When you see the guys head outside for a game of catch, give thanks for fun and physical ability to play. When the kids are playing and get a little loud, thank the Lord for youth and laughter. When you sit down to enjoy your meal, give thanks for God's provisions. And when you see the sink full of dishes, thank God for the loved ones you were blessed to share a table with.

Remember the good times. I lost three of my grandparents right around the holidays, my grandfather even moved to heaven on Christmas morning. So the holidays can be difficult and that sense of loss is always there. When those waves of grief come -whether from the loss of a loved one, broken relationship, loss of a job, or loss of a dream- remember the good times. Remember the laughter and love. Remember the blessing.

Be kind. It's no surprise that we don't always see eye to eye with everyone. Sometimes it's political. Sometimes it's in how we raise our children. Sometimes it's with a loved one who isn't a believer. Whatever your situation is, show kindness. Don't let differences cause discord. Be kind. Show love. And when necessary, gently agree to disagree and change the topic.

While the holidays are busy and can sometimes bring a degree of stress, they are also a special time to spend with those we love. Keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, give thanks for all the things big and small, and you'll have an attitude of gratitude.

Discussion:
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
2. How do you navigate difficult moments of the holiday?