The Lord has taught me that if I want to live an extraordinary, radical life for Christ, it is NOT easy! One day, things may be going just as you planned. You’re happy, surrounded by many friends, you’ve got straight A’s, it seems like everything is going great, until one day, that changes. You feel worn out, alone, and you just have nothing left to give. You’re wondering what God is doing in your life, unsure of what He has in store for you. Let’s be real, I think we’ve all been here at some point in our lives, but I’m here to tell you, God is working!
Sometimes I think the Lord wants to get us to a place of isolation and exhaustion because that’s often what it takes to get our attention. Do you ever wonder if the Lord takes things away from us so that we have no control over what happens to get us to a place where we’re ready to give it all over to Him? Think about it… If you’re standing in a new, unchartered season of life, you have no control of the unknown, but I know the One who does!
I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3! If you haven’t heard the story, Rack, Shack, and Benny, as I like to call them, refused to bow down to a statue made by the King at the time, Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar was calling the people of Babylon to fall down and worship this image of gold whenever the music sounded. Out of the many people there, Rack, Shack, and Benny were the only three who did not bow at the sound of the music and that made King Nebuchadnezzar furious! King Nebuchadnezzar said to the three men, “Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is hat God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” (Daniel 3:15). This is certainly something that these men never planned to happen, but look at their reply, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Woah. That is radical. Rack, Shack, and Benny had a completely surrendered trust. They knew that even if the Lord didn’t deliver them, He was still good, and even if they didn’t have control, they knew God did! No matter what you’re facing, hoping, and praying for, even if not, He is still good! They had no clue what the Lord was trying to do, they just trusted Him. Of course, King Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace, except he ordered it to be heated seven times hotter than normal. After the men were thrown in, when King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he didn’t see three men in there, but four. The Lord was with them in the fire. He called for them to come out of the furnace and the men didn’t even so much as smell like smoke! Because of Rack, Shack, and Benny’s surrendering trust, the Lord remained faithful and delivered them from the fire and they even became promoted in the province of Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Rack, Shack, and Benny were completely out of control and unsure of what God was doing. When these men chose to live a radical life for Christ, they literally went through the fire, but God had an amazing plan. Are you ready to do the same? Are you ready to completely give your life to the Lord? Are you ready to let God have control of your life? Are you ready to follow His plan for your life? You may be at a place of brokenness, exhaustion, confusion, and cluelessness, but now is your time! It’s time to lay yourself at the feet of Jesus! It’s time to let the Lord do amazing things through you and in your life! Surrender to Him. Trust Him.
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