Monday, October 27, 2008

God is able

I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the Bible. Their words inspire me. You may remember that they were about to be martyred because of their unwillingness to worship anything other than the True God of Heaven. At the last minute, the reigning monarch gives them an opportunity to change their strategy. Instead this is their conviction …


If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Dan. 3:17-18


Where does that confidence come from? Their theology! It was rooted and anchored in what they believed about God!


"…the God we serve is able…"


But notice this: They were not predicting that God would deliver them (although that's exactly what happened), but that God could deliver them. That is how faith operates. It is enough to know that God is able.


And if we truly believe that God is all-powerful, then if he doesn't do what we expect Him to do, it isn't because His hands were tied, but because He has an unseen plan. It is not because He is limited, but because I am. I just don't know all the options.


None of us knows God's script for our lives. But we know that God has the power to do whatever is best for us and those we care about. That is enough.

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2 comments:

Melissa said...

Thanks for this great reminder! If only I could live with this perspective all the time.

Andy said...

This reminds me of the verse (eph 3:20?)

God is able to do immeasurably more then we ask or imagine. To him be the glory.