Have you ever felt worn out while waiting for the Lord’s rescue? I feel that way this morning as I wait for a relational rescue within our family.
Psalm 119 wraps words around a heart longing for rescue. The writer declares,
“I’m worn out waiting for your rescue, O Lord, but I’ve put my hope in your word.
My eyes strain to see your promises come true.
When will you comfort me?
How long must I wait?
All your commands are trustworthy. Your word stands firm. Your regulations remain true. Your instructions sustain my joy. I am yours, rescue me!”
As I read Shadrach, Meshach & Abendego’s story this morning, I wondered if they recalled Psalm 119 as they spoke so boldly to the Babylonian king who was about to throw them in the fire for refusing to bow down to his statue.
They knew what it meant to wait...they were taken captive, stripped of their identity & homeland security, but they knew their God in Whom they could trust. Even though their names were changed & their country was demolished, their faith to follow THEIR God remained steadfast.
They had what I like to call, “An Even-If-Kinda-Faith.”
They boldly told the king, “We don’t need to defend ourselves before you. If we’re thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power. BUT EVEN IF he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you that we will never serve your gods or worship your gold statue.”
The king was so furious that his face became distorted with rage!😡 The men were thrown into a furnace heated 7xs hotter than normal, a mysterious 4th man suddenly appeared in the fire & then the king ordered the 3 men out of the fire & they didn’t even smell of smoke!
Waiting is hard, especially when it’s long & the fiery circumstances feel 7xs hotter than normal & yet we ALL have a 4th man in the fire with us! Jesus, Emmanuel, the Living Water who will quench our thirst while we wait for His rescue in a dry & weary land!
Father, our hope isn’t in the rescue, but in The Rescuer! Give us the courage of these brave Hebrew boys who took You at Your Word! Strengthen us in the wait with an “Even-If-Kinda-Faith” that remains rock-steady. Today we declare our hope in Your Word!
💡DANIEL 2:24-3:30
💡1 PETER 4:7-5:14
💡PSALM 119:81-96
💡PROVERBS 28:15-16
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