My Christian Walk - First Blog

Ok, so I am starting this new blog today. It was kind of sudden decision, but as I began reflecting on the scripture that I read this morning and the impact that it had on me, I decided it was what I wanted to do. Even if my blog is never read by a single sole, I wanted a place to share my thoughts. My hope is, of course, that my blog will be read and that others will benefit from my reflections. I know God wants us to share His word, which I must admit, I am not very good at, so perhaps this will help me to better do this. 

Here is my very first reflection, and believe me I am praying that this is what God wants me to do. Anyways, this morning I was reading Daniel 3 and I decided that I wanted to really read for understanding, not just to read for the sake of reading. It turns out that slowing down is very helpful (oh, what a surprise). It allowed me to think about what I was reading. If you are not familiar with Daniel 3, it is the part of the bible where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego get thrown into the burning fiery furnace for refusing to bow to the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had made.  

Wow! The thing that struck me is that these three men, knowing that there would be a price to pay for not doing as the king ordered, still refused to bow to the gold image or to serve any other gods. They knew and trusted that God would protect them, and even if He didn't they were still not going to bow. Can I say that I trust God that much? I hope that I can. My faith is very strong, or at least I believe it to be, but is it so strong that I would be able to do what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did? How do I make sure my faith is as strong as it needs to be? How can I continue to make it stronger? I'm not sure this is an answer that I can just blurt out on the spot. Of course, I know that through prayer, studying the bible, and trusting in the Lord that my faith will continue to grow, but I think there is more. I think that their is something in my thinking that needs to change. I think that it is something in my complete and total knowing that God loves me; meditating on this knowledge and really just soaking it all in. 

The end of the story, for those of you who don't know it, is that God saves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are thrown into the fiery furnace in which four men are seen. King Nebuchadnezzar is astonished since only three men went into the fire. He goes to the furnace and orders the three men to come out. They come out with not even a hair on their head being burned. The king then makes a decree that no word shall be spoken against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The ending of the story caused me to reflect on how amazing our God is. He not only saved the three men, but He caused the king to recognize Him. 

I love this story and am thankful for the reflective time that it provided me with as I continue to grow in my walk with God.