One of my favorite faith stories of the Bible is that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, found in Daniel 3. I have found great encouragement in their reply to the king as they refused to bow down to his idol…
“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. 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.”
They knew their God was able to save them, but they weren’t willing to surrender their faith if He didn’t.
My teammate, Shannon Morgan found out that her daddy (she’s a southern girl) had cancer almost immediately after she was accepted on the World Race. They prayed for healing, as he was a great man of faith and had personally experienced miraculous healings in the past, both in himself and others he had laid hands on. But as the cancer worsened…she took the journey with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace. “I know He can heal him…but even if He doesn’t…I believe.”
When she got the call a couple days ago that her daddy had passed away…the entire squad mourned.
As the fate of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego unfolded, they were thrown into the fiery furnace.
“The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:22-25
Shannon reflected…”I don’t know Brandy…I guess sometimes we just have to walk through the fire in order to allow others to see Jesus walking with us there.”
Shannon is a rare light in a dark room with an absolutely beautiful spirit and a faith equal to that of our faith heroes of the Bible.
God grant her and her family the peace and comfort that only you can give…surround them by your love and restore them with your joy.
Shannon and her family felt that it was very clearly God’s will for her to be on the race and therefore had sent her off with blessing. Her daddy left this earth with his arms in the air, praising his King. Amazingly Shannon is able to do the same. She is scheduled to return to the race and join our travels to Romania. Please shower her and her family with prayer.
