Weekly Devotional: Gems From Pastor Jim 9/14/2020

by Jim Hughes

Dan. 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power. Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God well enough to know that for them there was no other God. They would not bend to the pressure of the king to bow down and worship another god, even if it were to cost them their lives. They knew what God was capable of . Would God deliver them? They didn’t know, but they were willing to trust Him with their lives. They had gotten to know the Lord well enough to know that they could not put their allegiance anywhere but in Him. They knew Him well enough to know that He was worth dying for.

It is imperative that we too get to know the Lord well enough to trust Him with our lives. We live in a world that has many different understandings of God. People try to force their understanding on others. People chide those who stand strong on Biblical principles. We need to work hard at developing a relationship with God that will keep us anchored in Him regardless of the circumstances we are in.

When we really know and love the Lord, we do not need to defend ourselves. We discover that it’s not about us; it’s about the Lord. We don’t fear what others may be able to do or what they think. We put ourselves in the Lord’s hands and accept whatever may happen. There is no power on earth that can defeat a soul who’s God is the Lord. Jesus is the way and there is no other way.

Work hard on your salvation so that you will be able to stand up strong in the faith regardless of whatever circumstance you may find yourself in. The stronger your faith is, the less fear will grip your soul. The Lord will be with you to help you always when you are totally committed to Him, even in the face of certain death.

About the Author:

Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.

C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one's self from such failures.

I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn't broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.