While in the Fire

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 3:25

So, I'm turning 25 next week (yayyyyy!!). And last night I had a moment where I started thinking: "I am at the quarter of my life (if I manage to live to a 100) and what have I accomplished so far? What has God done in my life so far? What fruits do I have so far? What is life?" I didn't sleep, so you can imagine I was asking some very philosophical questions.  

And then today I started listening to preacher talk about 'Why does bad stuff happen to good people?'. It is a question I've been asked before and I have asked before. Looking around today, with wars, refugees trying to find their way to a better place away from the calamities etc., it makes a lot of people ask the question: 'If God is soo good, then why does he allow evil things, bad things to happen to people?' And I have no answer for that, God is still good, but why do bad things happen anyway?

Well, I wanna use the well known story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to illustrate my point. These were faithful men. In a previous post I wrote about their faith, these men stood up for God's will, against everything and God saved them. But before God saved them, they had to go through the fire, literally and figuratively. 

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

Daniel 3:19-20

They stood up for God's will by not bowing down for any idols and other gods and this is what happens!!! They are going to DIE!!! WHAT!!!??? 

When the IS started their campaign a lot of Christians were persecuted for not following the beliefs of the IS. The stood up for their faith and they are now with Christ in heaven. And this is a worst case scenario. Standing up as a Christian takes many forms. Not only defying death, but also defying the will of the world. As a Christian in the "free world", "western culture" or however you want to call it, it isn't that easy. There are many distractions, bad things also happen to people in this part of the world. Poverty can also strike you, sickness, grief, pain takes different forms, struggles take different shapes. Something that is a struggle for me might not be a struggle for you, doesn't mean I don't struggle. 

It is pretty amazing to think that THE GOD that created everything will stand with ME in the fire. But he does. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, doesn't only teach us to stand in faith and in  the will of God, but it also teaches us that God stands right there with us. 

I can't explain why we all have to go through the fire, but I'm sure that God will walk with us through it.

I have a friend, and she is an amazing woman, she has been blessed in many ways. God has used her to raise her children, and they are walking in the faith. And she is faithful to God. She will never let go. But, there is this one thing she has struggled with for a long time. She is alone, and she has always felt alone. She knows God is with her, but it's the physical aspect. She wants a husband. And while raising her children she choose to raise them alone, now she feels like she missed out and she really wants someone by her side. Everyone is grown up and she feels alone. That is her struggle, that is her fire. Being patient and waiting for God to provide that company. 

See... we all struggle in a different way, but God is with us while we are in the fire. He teaches us to wait for him, to trust in him. 

One more friend, which is pretty similar to my previous friend, her fire, her battle is in her mind. She's insecure, and she doesn't know exactly how to handle it. And I see God is pushing her out of her comfort zone, because that's where God wants her. 

I have learned a lot from my fires, and I've been in quite a few, but I was never alone in those fires. God is using them as part of my testimony. They are those milestones in my faith, where I can find strength and see that God has carried me up till here, and he is still carrying me.

Today I want to encourage you to simply get through it. God is in there with you. Maybe God is going to use this as your testimony to help people who are going through this as well. God always had a purpose, even when we move away from his will, he can turn everything into a blessing, 

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

 Daniel 3:28-29

God is with you in the fire, Nebuchadnezzar sees him. Can you?

Be blessed, and be a blessing to those around you! You are salt and light!

"How come he don't want me?"

"14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Romans 15:14-17

Today I want to write about something that comes from my heart. I was watching some clips from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", and a very touching scene made me cry. Will hugged his uncle Phil after his father left him again, and cried out: "How come he don't want me?"

When I was about 3 or 4, my parents got divorced. After a few years of them being divorced due to conflict, my brother and I stopped seeing my father. And as a little girl I felt a bit of jealousy when I saw how great the fathers of my friends were, and I just didn't have that with my dad. Actually the few times I had contact with him were not exactly memories I think of as great ones, they sucked and they made me sad. And sometimes I felt like Will. I felt like I lacked something and that was the reason my father wasn't there. As a little girl, I wanted to be my dads princess, but he wasn't there for me. He hasn't been there for me at all.  And I know some people may feel that way, maybe one of your parents isn't there for you. Maybe they are both there, but you feel as if they aren't, or they don't understand you. Or simply you have issues with yourself, you feel like you lack something. But I will share with you how this didn't affect me as much, as I grew older. 

Soon enough, my mom taught me something that has helped me through my life as a christian. Something that has helped me stay in the path holding God's hand very tightly, that no matter how much I fail, no matter how much I stumble and fall, this truth has been with me since I was a little girl. My mom always told me that God is my father. It was a simple thing, but as we see in this verse it is a powerful truth. So since then when I pray I usually don't say God or Lord, I usually pray to my Father. As you may have a relationship with your father here on earth, I have that same relationship with my father in heaven. 

Being a child of God came with a great sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ on that cross. Due to this sacrifice that wall of sin that was separating us from God, broke down. Literally, when the curtain ripped, and spiritually. The Holy Spirit of God brings about our adoption to sonship. We aren't just God's creations, we are his children. We inherit His Kingdom. I am my Father's little princess. 

And knowing this, has helped me work really hard as a christian to try and please my father. He isn't a distant God, that I have to fear. He is my father that loves me, and I am his daughter and of course as a daughter, I want to make him proud of me. I strive to become that pure gold, to one day be in his presence.

Our relationship with God has to be like this. You have respect for you father, you honour him and you want to make him proud. You want to show him that you cherish the values he has taught you throughout your life. God is the king of kings and as such we respect, honour him and give him glory. But as our father we can also love him. And this is what it comes down to. God loved us before so that we can know love and that we can show and give love. This love is what has kept me on this path and has helped me get back up when I fall. 

Sometimes I feel like some people don't understand the love of God. They have a lot of rules to avoid things from happening. And I'm not saying you shouldn't guard yourself, because you should. Satan is out there ready to snatch you away, and lie to you, making you think you're on the right path, and you are on the right path, to destruction! But you shouldn't forget that it's not by your strength that you are on the path God has set for you, but it's because of his love and grace. And once you understand how far this love goes, you can only be humble and try hard to stay on that path. Not by making rules and being afraid of failure, but by surrendering to his love and grace. 

Today I want to encourage you to surrender and accept God's love in your life. His pure and amazing love and we can't even begin to understand just by reading his word. We have to feel it and just by living in his will we can. I am amazed everyday at how great his love is. Just because of the fact that I can wake up, and I lack nothing. I mean sure, I'm a student, I have not much income, but even then God shows me that he will always provide for me. He gives me enough clothes, enough food. I see nature outside, I see how perfect he has created everything. I see how perfect he has created our bodies. My two cousins, their wives gave birth to two beautiful babies. And they are perfect! All of this can only be done by the amazing love that God has for us. The fact that I am here, making one of my dreams come true, shows me God's amazing and unfailing love. Doesn't that  make you want to get up everyday and show it back to him? Doesn't that make you just want to make him proud of you? I do. 

God bless you and be a blessing to those around you!