In brief, there is the story of Daniel in the lion's den, the fiery furnace with Shadrach Meshach, and Abednego, and a New Testament Story of Paul in prison. In all three of these accounts, it would seem the work of God was defeated or they themselves were defeated by the enemy. But God allowed the hurricane of defeat but not destruction. He came in victorious disrupting the hurricane of the enemy. He stirred things up showing that the enemy could not be defeated and He was who He was and is. He allowed what would appear to be the end of the work of those he called to show greater power and victory.
We all have our furnaces that at times we feel burned or singed by, the lion's pit with raging lions about to devour our very souls and emotions, our prisons that seem to captivate us from what we are called to do merely paralyzing us from moving forward in our relationship with Christ and the work he is calling us to do. I am not merely talking that everyone is called to some great work but each of us is called to do something. We are called to serve whatever he may ask us to do be it little or great.
Feeling led to pray or visit someone or cleaning up trash and debris is just as great when followed by God’s calling and obedience as that of a great pastor or teacher. As a mom, I often feel imprisoned by the demands and furnace of the trials that life may bring. However, God is there waiting for me to allow him and trust in His victory. He cannot step in our circumstances in a victorious way without full submission and faith trusting in His divine will. He wants us to stand on the victory He is going to perform. I was reminded how so easily we tend to go on day-to-day learning to fully trust in Him but yet completely forgetting the fact that He claims victory overall.
He claimed victory over Daniel; victory over Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and victory over Paul. He never wants allowed nor did they allow the work of God to be stopped by their circumstance or defeat. My prayer for today that as the furnace may sometimes appear to get hotter, the lions' mouths get bigger, and the prison cell colder and darker I do not forget that God is victorious and bigger than all the things of life that storm around us.
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