Vacations remind me that rest is important. That family is important. That God’s creation is outstanding. AND that I miss my church family when I’m away and appreciate them even more when I return! These blessings, church, family, creation…can actually quickly get in the way of my worship! And this weekend we touched on this very topic at Alive!
As we have been walking our way through some of the various stories of the faith, those characters we heard about when we were kids, I’ve been reminded how easily we can get distracted by our circumstances and not put our full faith in God! I know I have fallen into this trap myself; times are rolling along, and things are really good, and I forget that God is in control and not me! I think this past year has taught me a lot about how when I think I’m in control what really little I am in control of!
This weekend we looked at the age-old story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego. You may remember…those three blokes that wouldn’t bow to the king’s idol when the music played and got bound and thrown into the fiery furnace! Well, spoiler alert, they survived and when the King looked into the fire, he actually saw FOUR figures walking around freely within that very flame!
This circumstance seems pretty far-fetched to apply to our lives….but…do we go through tests of faith like this? Have you ever felt like your faith isn’t big enough to face a difficult circumstance? I think we can all relate to tough situations; loss of jobs, loss of finances, loss of relationship…maybe we have put these things first in our lives and when they have crumbled…we have crumbled! How could we have the kind of faith that Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego had to tell the King…go ahead throw us in the fire and God will save us, and even if he doesn’t, we will NOT bow to your idol!
Here’s what we can do: Worship the ONE TRUE GOD! Just like our friends in this biblical story we need to discern what is pleasing to God, what he requires of us, and how we can truly honor and glorify Him! AND DO THAT! Sure, cliché as it sounds, reading the bible, listening to podcasts, diving into scripture with mentors all help us hear God’s voice and learn to worship Him better!
We can also teach ourselves to look for God in the fire. Albeit not a literal fire, when we are going through difficulties, struggling with addition, fighting for our health…we can look for what God might be trying to help us understand in that situation. We can call on Him for help to get through our battles and know that He is right there with us, NO MATTER HOW ALONE WE FEEL!
And lastly, let’s be willing to share our stories of victory and defeat with others to bring Glory to God by spreading HIS LOVE with others!
If you need prayer or have questions! Please reach out! If you would like to watch the sermon archive, click here!
God bless you this week as you work to know Him better!