BROADCASTS.com

\u201cShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, \u2018If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty\u2019s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up\u2019\u201d (Daniel 3:17-18).

Nine-year-old Danny came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. After a quick search, he grabbed his dad by the pant leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked his son to tell him about it.

"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So, the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin' closer and closer. So, Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!

By now dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?" "Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you'd never believe it, Dad." The Bible is full of such stories: stories difficult to believe. There is the story of David facing down Goliath with a few stones (1 Samuel 17); of Daniel's three friends surviving a roaring furnace (Daniel 3); of Jonah living in a big fish for 3 days (Jonah 1); of the Israelites escaping from Egypt (Exodus 13-14); and various people getting raised from the dead.

From a human perspective each is as impossible as the next. However, each story has a very non-human element in them. God is at work. When God is involved in the story things rarely turn out as expected. Romans 8 reminds us that when God is at work in the story, things turn out for good (Romans 8:28). That is, for those who love God!

The good that God brings about might not be what we want. In the story of Daniel's three friends, they tell the king of Babylon that even if God doesn't rescue them, they will not worship any other god. Their love for God was so deep that He was worth worshipping even if He let them die in the fire. How do we develop a love like that?

Let me suggest two things to get started with. First, worship. Not just the public worship of a local congregation. For Christians, worship is always more than that. Worship is putting God first in our lives. This is why communal worship with others who desire to put God first has such value for us. Often, as we live our lives putting God first, we discover that he is worthy of our adoration. As we worship, we learn of God\u2019s character: his holiness and his love; his grandeur and his kindness. He does bring good for those who love Him.

Second, we need to pray for it. Jesus says that God gives his Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13). I suspect that many of us give up too easily. Jesus insists that we pray with urgency while Paul insists that we pray continually. Our culture knows little of this perseverance. Many Christians have discovered that while we wait for an answer our longing for the kingdom increases. As we pray, our eyes move away from the concerns of this world; we begin to look up, to see God on his throne and Christ right beside him. The world will be alright because God is on the throne.

As you fix your eyes on him, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.

May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.

May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.