“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 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.” – Daniel 3:16-18
Author Charles Colson relates the following: “It turned out to be one of England’s finest hours–and oddly enough, a telling illustration of the urgent need for Christian apologetics in our day.
The time was June 1940 and the place was Dunkirk. The British Expeditionary Force, sent to stem the Nazi advance into Belgium and France, had been pushed steadily back to the sea.
A pall fell over England. Hitler’s armies were poised to destroy the cornered Allied army. But as the British people waited anxiously, a three-word message was transmitted from the army at Dunkirk: “And if not.”
The British people instantly recognized what the message meant: “Even if we are not rescued from Hitler’s army, we will stand strong.” “And if not” was found in the Book of Daniel, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego defied Nebuchadnezzar, putting their trust in God.
The message galvanized the British people. Thousands of boats set out across the Channel in a gallant bid to rescue their army. And they succeeded. Nearly 350,000 troops were saved.
The British people were so steeped in Christian understanding that they immediately grasped the meaning of a cryptic biblical allusion.”
We will all be tested in our faith, but Christ is faithful and He will be with us during our trials. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He is a loving God and pray for those who are currently facing extreme trials.
“Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. He will not necessarily protect us – not from anything that makes us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.” – Elisabeth Elliot
God’s Word: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” – Psalm 17:8
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