Our faith is only between us and God. Peter calls it "precious faith . . by the righteousness of God" (2 Peter 1:1). "It takes two to have a marriage" is a common saying when a relationship fails. God is perfect in His part of our relationship. "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these (we) may be partakers of the divine nature" (v. 4). Our faith is based on our relationship with the Creator God is "precious" and His promises to us are likewise "precious".
We have just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. Psalm 136:1-9, begins with the phrase "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever". This passage describes the only real God "who by wisdom made the heavens" (v. 5). All 26 verses in this chapter include the words "For His mercy endures forever". When I think of God, the truth that He is loving and merciful ought to trump any other thoughts I have about Him.
The wisdom of Proverbs for today, "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back" (29:11).
(Nothing to add here!) Foolish versus wise.
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image in the plain of Dura. At the sound of the music--"the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music"--everyone was to "fall down and worship the gold image . . .and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace" (v. 5-6). It was reported to the king that "certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego" had not regarded the king nor worshiped the gold image (v. 12). The king called them into his presence and warned them that if they did not bow down they would be cast immediately into a fiery furnace "And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" (v. 15). This was their answer to the king: "we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from you hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (v. 16-18). This did not go over well with the king! He then commanded the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual and the three men be bound and thrown into the furnace immediately. The Bible says they "were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments", and were cast into the furnace. The furnace was so hot "the flame of the fire killed those men" who cast them in.
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished. . .'Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? . .I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the forth (I love this part!) is like the Son of God'." (v. 24-25). The king called the men to him out of the fire and "they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of the head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!'" He then admitted, "there is no other God who can deliver like this" (v.29).
Nebuchadnezzar possessed an element of pride and gloried in Babylon. Twelve months following his vision, he was glorying in what he had accomplished when he encountered the power of the God of Israel. "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 'King Nebuchadezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!'" Nebuchadnezzar would "graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth" (v. 15), as he had seen in his visions--"till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses" (v.25).
In Daniel 4:34, after the vision was fulfilled, Nebuchadnezzar gave this powerful testimony, "And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?' . .And those who walk in pride He is able to put down" (v. 35-36, 37). Are we more willing than Nebuchadnezzar to recognize God's power and might in the earth before having to be taught it the hard way?
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