Faith feeds on the supernatural
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had strong faith that God would save them. This knowledge was ingrained from previous experience. They were brought as slaves to Babylon. In order to serve the king, they were recruited and trained extensively. The king woke up from his sleep one day because of a dream. The dream grieved the spirit of the king. All the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and wise men were gathered the next morning to interpret the king's dream. The catch was that the king refused to tell them the dream. The king knew they would create their own interpretations if he shared the dream with them. According to the sorcerers, magicians, and wise men, no one on earth could tell the king his dream.
It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Daniel 2:11
It's interesting to hear that they mentioned a god who lives in the spirit realm, whose dwelling is not with the flesh. This angered the king, and he sent executors to destroy all the wise men. When Daniel heard about this, he requested the king for time. The interpretation was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed God and gave the king the interpretation. The king fell on his face and said, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” (Dan 2:47 ESV).
Daniel was then given great honours and gifts by the king and appointed ruler over all of Babylon and chief prefect over its wise men. Daniel's recommendation also promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the top posts.
They learned about our God who saves through this experience. When the executioners came to take their lives, they would have been terrified. They looked to their God and God delivered them. In light of this experience, they boldly refused to bow down to the idol. They told the king, “Our God whom we serve is able to rescue us”. Their previous experiences gave them courage and boldness for the next.
When you get headache, try faith instead of running to medicines. If you keep running to the doctor for the smallest pains, where would you run on the day they give up hope.
Do you expect faith to suddenly spring from nowhere? Faith feeds on the supernatural. As soon as Moses put his stick down, it changed into a snake, and as soon as he placed his hand between his loins, it turned leprous.
Moses was trained to know that supernatural things could happen. Where would the faith have come from if he was suddenly forced to stand before the sea and told to part it? He would not have had faith. It is for this reason that we need to be trained in faith. Put faith into practice. Elijah made fire fall from heaven but before that God had trained him to bring him there. God made him stop the rain till he spoke otherwise. This stopped the rain for three years.
God took him to Cherith where there was a heavy famine. The crow brought bread and meat to Elijah in the morning and evening, as God had commanded. Elijah drank from the brook. Every time he needed food, the crow brought it at the right time so he did not have to wonder if it was a coincidence. His faith continued to grow.
When I had to put my daughter in college, God instructed me to enrol her in Karunya. I asked God, “There is a college here where I will only have to spend thousands but if I send her there, I will have to spend lakhs.”
It boggled my mind from where so much money could come from. Up until that point, I had never received big offerings. God said he would train me on how to handle money with this experience and He asked me to put her in Karunya. When I submitted her application, I had to pay an admission fee of Rs.50,000. Someone called me and sent me an offering in that exact amount.
It was my first time receiving such a large offering. After that, I saw God providing exactly what she needed to remain there. Now, I have the faith to expect God’s provision in life. In order for me to advance in my ministry, God had to train me there first. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not just go and make big talks to the king but they witnessed the Lord doing a mighty work. It became their lifestyle. Our life changes into a sign and wonder with our God - who keeps providing, healing, delivering. This should become ingrained in our minds.
God's Word is not just a two-day experience after hearing it on Sunday. It should become our absolute lifestyle. God trained those three men well. They did not assume that God would deliver one day and kill the other day, heal one day and make you sick after that. The people believed that God is continuously good and that his mercy never fails- that he keeps healing, delivering, and saving. There will never be a day that our God fails to save us, but sometimes we don't give Him the chance. Considering it was the king's decree, they didn't need to please him or go under subjection to him. They had sound knowledge of the goodness of God and gave God the right chance.
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