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The Roller-Coaster Ride Of Life (4)
‘He has made everything appropriate in its time.’ Ecclesiastes 3:11 NAS
The roller coaster of life runs both day and night. Some trips take place in the dark, where things are difficult to distinguish. ‘Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.’(Isaiah 50:10 NAS) Yes, even the godly who ‘fear the Lord’ and who ‘obey the voice of His servant’ will at times walk where there seems to be no light to guide their footsteps and no warm glow to comfort their troubled senses. These are not times of punishment, retribution, or abandonment. No, they’re times when God is working out the next important stages of your development, aligning you for greater advancement in His kingdom!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, men who feared the Lord and obeyed His Word, were ordered to be burned alive for refusing to worship the king’s golden image (see Daniel 3). Listen to their faith confession:
(1) ‘The God we serve is able to deliver us.’ (Daniel 3:17 NIV) They never doubted God’s ability.
(2) ‘And he will deliver us.’ (Daniel 3:17 NIV) They never doubted God’s intention.
(3) ‘But if not… we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image.’(Daniel 3:18 ESV) They never considered an alternative to faithfulness to God. They had to go through to get through, and they did! You will too. Stay on the roller coaster. ‘Trust in the name of the Lord and rely on [your] God.’He has the last word, not the devil, circumstances or people. Like the three Hebrews, you will come out refined as gold tried in the fire.
written by Bob Gass
‘He has made everything appropriate in its time.’ Ecclesiastes 3:11 NAS
The roller coaster of life runs both day and night. Some trips take place in the dark, where things are difficult to distinguish. ‘Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.’(Isaiah 50:10 NAS) Yes, even the godly who ‘fear the Lord’ and who ‘obey the voice of His servant’ will at times walk where there seems to be no light to guide their footsteps and no warm glow to comfort their troubled senses. These are not times of punishment, retribution, or abandonment. No, they’re times when God is working out the next important stages of your development, aligning you for greater advancement in His kingdom!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, men who feared the Lord and obeyed His Word, were ordered to be burned alive for refusing to worship the king’s golden image (see Daniel 3). Listen to their faith confession:
(1) ‘The God we serve is able to deliver us.’ (Daniel 3:17 NIV) They never doubted God’s ability.
(2) ‘And he will deliver us.’ (Daniel 3:17 NIV) They never doubted God’s intention.
(3) ‘But if not… we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image.’(Daniel 3:18 ESV) They never considered an alternative to faithfulness to God. They had to go through to get through, and they did! You will too. Stay on the roller coaster. ‘Trust in the name of the Lord and rely on [your] God.’He has the last word, not the devil, circumstances or people. Like the three Hebrews, you will come out refined as gold tried in the fire.
written by Bob Gass
