The Church Offers Protection
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:26-30)
Thought For Today:
We often hear about various agencies that are responsible for safeguarding people. These agencies include The Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for keeping the air and waterways clean; The Customs and Border Agency, which is responsible for preventing illegal people from crossing the border; The Federal Trade Commission, which is responsible for protecting consumer rights; and The Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As), which work at the state level to defend individuals with developmental disabilities by empowering them and advocating on their behalf. The list of such agencies goes on. But God's people also have a protection agency. It’s called the church. The Holy Ghost governs it, and its rules and laws are taken from the Bible.
The Lord said, "Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow to an image of gold that he had set up. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to obey his command. As a result, they were thrown into a fiery furnace, but to the king's surprise, they were not harmed by the flames. They knew that Almighty God would protect them, and indeed, He did. The psalmist informs and admonishes us, "I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."(Psalms 118:5-9). Who is your protection agency?
