The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

What a grand account of the blessing and intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ. While He did not prevent the king’s order to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, He did something even better. He was waiting in the fiery furnace for them! According to Daniel 3:21 the three Hebrew men were bound. Now they are loose, walking around and not injured in any way. Three were thrown in, but four were seen together in the midst of the fire. One of the great mysteries of life is the Sovereignty of the Lord. At times He mightily and miraculously delivers people from fiery trials. Other times He gives very special grace to the believer to go through the trial. The mystery comes from trying to understand God’s plan. Sometimes the believer is kept from the situation. Other times the believer is kept through the situation. Either way it is a wonderful blessing to belong to the Son of God. Whatever takes place in your life today, you can trust His hand to keep you and give you the grace you need.

For today: Whether “from” or “through” the trial, I want to trust Him. How about you?

“What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose” (Psalm 25:12).

Lois and Manny were taking notes in their Sunday school class that was being taught by Richard. Most of the folks in the adult class loved taking notes, but it was different for Lois and Manny. Newly saved, this couple was like a sponge that soaked up every word. Richard wrote out the three principle words of this text along with the definition. The first word “fear” is yare. This means “sheer terror that leads to profound respect and reverence.” The second word “teach” is yarah which gives the picture of an arrow being aimed and then shot toward the mark. The third word “way” is derek which gives the idea of a path, a journey, or course of life. Both wrote out the sentences that Richard spoke: “When viewing our great God, we need to be moved to profound reverence because His holiness causes sheer terror in our hearts. We must view ourselves as being arrows in the hand of God as He aims us in the right direction for the journey He wants to take with us.” It took them a little while to get all the words written, but it was a great lesson for them to learn. It’s great for us today as well.

For today: I want to fear the Lord and enjoy learning what He teaches me along the way. How about you?

“For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God” (Psalm 18:21).

I am not sure how early in David’s life these words of testimony were written. Please understand that this doesn’t mean that David lived perfectly. Neither will you nor I live without ever sinning and making mistakes. What a wonderful testimony the king gave as he shared his heart and desires with the people of his kingdom. God was in charge. Keeping the ways of God was the king’s desire. Wickedness was not a good option in the thinking of David. As you make your way along with the Lord today, be sure that you are keeping His ways. Wickedness seems to be always ready in just a moment of weakness when your guard is down. Remember to Whom you belong, and be sure to ask Him to help you to please Him.

For today: The ways of the LORD or the ways of wickedness are our choices today. I know which I want to choose. How about you?

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Kings 22:1-2).

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” the college professor said to his immature student. “Dean, it is time for you to take some responsibility for your actions. I don’t want to hear from you that the assignments are too much, too hard, or unnecessary. Your partying has gotten you nowhere except behind.” The professor lowered his voice and continued saying, “Dean, I don’t know if you have ever heard this before, but there was a King in the Old Testament who was only eight years old when he began ruling. Guess what? He did that which was right. Now here you are at twenty-two, and it is time for you to start doing that which is right.” At first Dean felt anger and resentment. Soon, though, he felt shame and some good old fashioned remorse. This started him on a lifetime journey with the Lord. Our verse is also good for me. I am at the other end of the spectrum. Josiah couldn’t say, “I’m too young to do what is right.” I cannot say, “I am too old to do what is right.” I want to finish well. I want to walk in the ways of the Lord. How about you?

For today: Walking in the way of the Lord and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord is the best way to live today.

“Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their father, that did not believe in the LORD their God” (2 Kings 17: 14).

Yesterday we wrote of the loving kindness of the Lord that gently draws us to Himself. It is wonderful to realize that our awesome God, though infinitely powerful, uses loving kindness to draw us to Himself. It is frightening to understand that people do not have to respond positively to the Lord. Many of the Old Testament people resisted this precious drawing to Himself. Our verse for today speaks of judgment on Samaria and Israel being carried away. Why did this happen? The answer is because they would not pay attention to what the Lord was trying to say. They hardened their necks. They would not willingly turn from their stubborn ways. It reminds me that many people were praying for Darnella. For years she had made poor decisions. Repeatedly she resisted the Lord even though for a period of time she seemed to walk with Him. Things changed for the worst as she no longer read God’s Word. She resisted going to church even though she heard the church bells every Sunday. She didn’t allow her children to go to Sunday school. Darnella’s family prayed for her, but she wouldn’t listen. Life for her was unusually and unnecessarily difficult because rather than heeding to the Lord, she hardened her heart. I pray that you will not experience the same unnecessary difficulty.

For today: I want to hear and believe what the Lord says. Life is hard enough. I don’t want to make it more difficult by choosing unwisely. How about you?