Making Sense of Crazy Situations
19. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.”
20. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.”
21. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:19-21
Search for Clarity
As humans, we all strive to live quiet and peaceful lives. That is at least, most of us; we are simply attempting to work and take care of our families and do what is right. Above everything else, people want normalcy. Herein is the problem when it comes to growing by faith. What happens when you have done your best and yet things go dramatically wrong? Does this infer that you are the blame for the way things turn out? No, it means that your goal of normalcy is being challenged. God has allowed circumstances to develop that push you out of your comfort zone in order to find something greater regarding His Will for your life.
So, what do you do when all of a sudden, your world turns upside down by a tragedy or some other strange course of events? The very first thing we focus on is to make sense of the situation. Most will seek clarification as to why the event happened, what will be the impact, and what to do going forward. This is simply trying to make sense of crazy situations. I’m sure you would agree that it is easier to approach a problem with calmness versus the frantic approach. I’m quite sure you would rather keep a level head and have the ability to think through the crisis rather than allowing frustration to gain the upper hand in the matter. So, clarity is much more involved than stopping to think about what is happening. Clarity is slowing down your reaction time long enough to verify that you are catching God’s vision and more importantly God’s direction.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (aka Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) found themselves in a crazy situation. The king of Babylon had ordered the construction of a huge statue on the plains of Dura. Evidently, Nebuchadnezzar was so captivated with Daniel’s interpretation of the heavenly vision, that he wanted to memorialize himself as being the ‘head of gold.’ What better way to do that (or so he thought), than to build an image of what he saw so that everyone else could see it? The problem with that line of thinking is that Nebuchadnezzar was thinking only of himself. He failed to credit the God of Heaven in this matter. With a puffed up head, he proceeded to build something and recognize himself for the achievement. We must all understand that man’s role in human events is at best, a supporting role. No one is the star except God. Evidently that fact had not been made clear to the king. Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to bow down to his image and to also worship his gods. Everyone one on the “Who’s Who list in Babylon” was invited. At the sound of the music they all bowed and paid homage to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and to his gods. That is, except for three dissenters: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had decided that they would not follow the king’s edict and would purposely “not bow” under political or any other kind of pressure.
While the Scripture text is silent as to when they made this resolution and how they came to such a strong stand for their faith, we do recognize that they had clarity and the confidence to stand boldly for the Lord. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter” … “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.” While most of the preaching of this text focuses on the rescue from the fire, it is critical that we do not miss the pre-fire preparation. Their confidence was not based on wishful thinking or a last minute effort for a prayer break-through. Their confidence was based on something they knew. They made three definitive statements.
We do not need to defend ourselves. Second, the God we serve is able. And lastly, He will rescue us from your hand. Needless to say, they did not come to those conclusions at the last minute. That confidence came from talking with the Lord and knowing that regardless of what happened, God would be with them. You and I can have that same confidence if we ask God to give us clarity. It is said in Proverbs, “in all your getting, get understanding.” While many of us think that understanding is to gain a bearing as to where we are in time, it is really to simply find God and know that His presence will be with us regardless of where we are. That is the most important step in order to make sense of crazy situations. By all means, please remember that God never brings you to those moments to see you destroyed. Even when He allows circumstances to come about to correct us, He does so in love. God said to Ezekiel, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” Now if that is God’s plea to the wicked, how much more is God pleading for His children to turn to Him in crazy times. The warning is to turn in the right direction and find God’s favor.
Getting Prepared for the Fiery Test
Someone has said that you should not wait for the house to burn down to buy insurance. In other words, be prepared. As believers, we should not wait until the crisis occurs before we learn how to pray. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had engaged in prayer along with Daniel in order to gain insight into the king’s dream. I’m sure that they knew very well the value of prayer. Prayer is not a glorified 911 system. It is clear and powerful communication with God. As noted in our earlier discussion, “On Speaking Terms with God” prayer involves seclusion, sacrifice, separation, and strength.
The child of God prepares for the fiery test by going to that place of seclusion that takes them away from the cares and outside distractions. Jesus would get alone with His Father and find great communion. That secluded place is a glorious place. It is God’s place. In His Presence there is fullness of joy … at His Right Hand, there are pleasures ever more. Shadrach and his friend knew that God would defend them if they got in trouble because they had spent time with the Lord in prayer. That is why they stated, “we do not have to defend ourselves.” God was their Refuge and Shelter.
The child of God prepares for the fiery test by also sacrificing themselves to God in prayer. In Babylon, these Jewish young men owned nothing. All they possessed were their bodies so they presented themselves to God. They knew that they could certainly expect things from God, but they also knew that God expected something from them. What did God expect from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? He expected their obedience. That is why they were able to stand in the kings presence and say, “we will not serve your gods nor will we bow down to your image, O king.” They were indeed, sold out to The Lord.
We should also realize that as we offer prayer, God is preparing us for participation in something that He is planning to do. While Nebuchadnezzar was planning to dedicate his dumb idol, The Living God was preparing to show up at the party. God had chosen Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah as those who would introduce Him. He would show up as His boys were thrown into the burning furnace as a sacrifice. So praying is not just “getting something from God” but rather presenting ourselves to God for Him to bring about great blessings for everyone. Isn’t that amazing?
There is a third preparation for the fiery test that we find through prayer. When we pray we are literally separating ourselves from the world. Even though Nebuchadnezzar considered the Hebrew boys his slaves, they actually belonged to the God of Heaven. This earthly king had changed their names so that they would be his possession by the gift of his gods. But God Almighty had already claimed them for Himself. You and I must understand that prayer is that place of separation. In prayer, we declare that we belong to the Lord and Him only will we serve. By praying often and by praying fervently to God for days, weeks, and even months, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were not taken by surprise when they stood before the king. They had complete confidence that their God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace. It was a matter of ownership. It is that spiritual separation that opens both our heart and our mind to the confidence we seek. Thy Kingdom come and Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. They knew without a shadow of doubt, that God was in control.
The fact that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah could stand boldly before the king was not a result of self-determination, but evidence that they had been strengthened to face the trial by God’s Amazing Grace. They had prayed and the Lord had prepared them for the trial by granting them strength. No doubt, they had uttered the words of the Psalmist, “Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart.” God strengthens us while we are praying and calling on Him. It was that strength that gave them power to say that they would stand for God no matter what happened. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Let me ask you a question. If your life was on the line, would you have that type of courage to say, “even if He does not, we will not serve your gods?” It takes someone with God’s strength and God’s power to utter those words. When the child of God receives God’s strength, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and that enables them to stand for the Truth.
Now It Makes Sense
At some point in your test, it will finally dawn on you that God brought the crazy situation into your life for you to experience His Mercy and Goodness. Chances are, you will never have to stand before an egotistical king like Nebuchadnezzar. Then again, there are some crazy things going on in the political world that might increase those odds. The point is, if you have prayed and maintained your fellowship with Father God, you are well equipped to face anything. As you walk through those dark valleys you fear no evil because the Lord is with you every step of the way. Here are several concluding points to help drive home the fact that prayer to God will make sense of anything you face.
First, always understand that God knows where you are at all times because He is there with you all the time. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah came to the realization that God was there in Babylon. That is why they said, “God is able.” They took God at His Word that if they were in a foreign land and they turned to Him with a humble heart and asked for His forgiveness, God would hear them. God knew where they were because God was with them in Babylon.
Second, always understand that God is never out of miracles. God can make a way where there is no way. He is both the Entrance and the Exit. You can enter into His Presence by simply calling on His Name. You can exit any situation by doing the same. The old folks would say, “God is a Way-maker.” God had so many options that day. God could have caused a massive flood to put out the fire. Did you ever think about that? God could have sent a lightening bolt and destroyed Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. God could have taken them up to Heaven if He wanted to. God had so many options. That is what the Way-maker God does. He makes a way out of no way. God instead, allowed His children to be thrown into the fire to give the king and his associates an accounting lesson. They threw in three, but the Fourth Man showed up. This should be a valuable lesson for every believer in Christ. God does not have to deliver by keeping you from the trial, He is able to deliver in the trial. That is what the Way-maker God does. When life hands you a crazy situation, God sends you a miraculous deliverance.
Thirdly, don’t limit your prayers by rehearsing what God has done in the past. How do you know whether or not He wants to do a new thing in your future. If there is one thing that crazy situations can teach us, is that we must not expect the routine or for business to be as usual. Please, please realize that if the devil has stepped up his game, the Lord will never allow the devil to win. Better yet, God always knows what the enemy is thinking because the Lord knows every thought of man. The Bible says, “The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the good and the evil.” He knows what’s going on even if you don’t. So when you pray – get creative and pray bold prayers. Tell the Lord – “Lord, You can do anything but fail and You are in complete control over all things.” I declare unto you that God will show up in a mighty way and will cause your enemies and your problems to bow the knee before Him.
Lastly, remember that God moves in your life for His Glory. The episode of crazy situations is not about you. So, give all the Glory to God and watch what mighty things He will do because He loves you. It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others – He’ll do for you. With His arms wide open, He’ll pardon you. It is no secret what God can do.
Be blessed.