No. 1600: Our struggles as believers are not fair, as there are circumstances that God allows for us to be conformed to the image of God's Son - and that what lives in us must be tested and come forth!

No. 1600:

Our struggles as believers are not fair, as there are circumstances that God allows for us to be conformed to the image of God's Son - and that what lives in us must be tested and come forth!

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace, where Jesus in his previous existence came to their aid, hallelujah

 

There are many accounts in God's word that tell about the background that happens in the spiritual world

It is also in other ways that we gain an insight into the fact that the events we experience as believers are staged by the evil one, his demons and evil people.
This is something that God allows and that is part of our nurturing, formation and testing as believers.
We do not avoid battles, testing and events that are in many ways not "well-deserved" or fair.
This is what the scriptures teach us, and we can look at some such incidents.
Where we start with Job and Job's book.

Job was tested and tested, we read that it was God and Job who "negotiated" how this testing and testing should take place

Job 1. 1. In the land of Uz there was a man named Job; he was a blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned evil.
6 Then it happened one day that the sons of God came and presented themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Satan answered the Lord: I have gone and wandered about the earth. 8 Then the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him - a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil. 9 But Satan answered the Lord: Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not fenced about him and about his house and about all that is his, on all sides? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his flocks have spread far across the land. 11 But just reach out your hand and touch everything that is his! Then he will certainly say goodbye to you right to your face. 12 Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that is his is in your hand; but against him himself you must not stretch out your hand. Then Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

This is exactly what happened in Job's life, where you can read the full account for yourself

Job was tested and tried in the way that God and Satan agreed and agreed upon.
Job passed the test, and then Satan was not satisfied, and went to God once more.
This was before Golgotha, when Satan had a form of legitimate access to this, which he was deprived of after Jesus' victory over him on Golgotha. Today it is not like that.

Job 2. 1. Then it happened one day that the sons of God came and presented themselves before the Lord, and among them Satan also came and presented himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Satan answered the Lord: I have gone and wandered about the earth. 3 Then the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none on earth like him - a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil; yet he is as blameless, and you have incited me without reason to destroy him. 4 But Satan answered the Lord: Skin for skin, but all that a man has he gives for his life. 5 But just reach out your hand and touch his bones and his flesh! Then he will certainly say goodbye to you right to your face. 6 Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand; just spare his life!

Now Satan went much further in his testing and trial of Job. Now Job didn't just lose his property and sons

It was obviously bad, but had he managed and endured what Job had already gone through?
Now everything was to be tested and tried, except taking Job's life. Otherwise, it was really free for Satan.
God himself gives Satan permission, but his life shall be spared.

But a little later, after also being affected by a painful skin disease, poor Job just wants to die. Some friends who have come to comfort him instead start trying to find answers to "why". They believe that only ungodly men are afflicted with distress like this; The cause of Job's suffering must therefore be a serious, hidden sin. But Job protests, although he too wonders "why". He does not know that the Accuser (the devil) had been active behind the scenes and claimed to God that Job's godliness was false; it would probably evaporate immediately if he lost all the good things the Lord had spoiled him with. Then God let the enemy have a free hand. But he set a limit: Job's life had to be spared.

After the trial time was over, where the terrible skin disease Job contracted had completely broken him. Then everything was restored and more.
What Job went through was primarily for God to see. Or rather, everyone got to see what lived in Job's life and heart. Secondly, it is also God who allows this, as believing in God does not necessarily mean that we are free from suffering, trials and pain in this world as believers.
On the contrary, if anyone is truly tested, it is us believers!

Job 42. 0 And the Lord put an end to Job's calamity, when he prayed for his friends; and the Lord increased all that Job had to double. 11 And all his brothers came to him, and all his sisters, and all who had known him before, and they ate with him in his house and showed him compassion and comforted him for all the calamity the Lord had brought upon him; and they gave him each a kesitte and each a gold ring. / 12 And the Lord blessed Job's last days more than his first, and he got fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels and a thousand pairs of oxen and a thousand donkeys. / 13 And he had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named one daughter Jemima, the second Kesia, and the third Keren-Happuk. 15 Women as beautiful as Job's daughters were not found in all the land; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brethren. 16 After that Job lived a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children and grandchildren in the fourth part. 17 And Job died, old and full of days.

We also meet this in the book of Daniel. Both about Daniel, and his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. They were also tested and tried, not in a fair way. But with the intention that the enemy - Satan would die and crush them!

The whole book of Daniel is instructive, but we stop for a bit with chapters 3 and 6, and then begin with Daniel 3.

Daniel 3. 1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up in the valley of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent out people who were to call together the satraps, the governors and governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, the jurists, the judges and all the officials of the provinces and bid them come to the consecration of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the governors and governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, the jurists, the judges and all the officials of the provinces came together to the consecration of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they came forward before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald shouted with a loud voice: It is said to you, O peoples, families and languages: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, harp, lute and bagpipes and all other kinds of stringed instruments, you shall fall down and worship the golden image King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the fiery furnace at the same time.

Here, as is often the case today, tolerance went one way. Where everyone had to bow to the image support, if not. Then it waned certain death, the fiery furnace!
What now? We read in the scriptures that they were given the opportunity to bow, then they would receive mercy. If not, the Furnace awaits. What did Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego do?
The good book says the following:
Daniel 3. 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered the king: Nebuchadnezzar! We don't have to answer you a word on this. 17 Our God, whom we worship, is mighty to save us; from the burning fiery furnace and from your hand, O king, he will save. 18 But if not, then you shall know, king, that we will not worship your gods or worship the golden image you have set up. 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger, and the expression on his face changed as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He spoke up and said that the furnace should be made seven times hotter than they had found it good to heat it. 20 And he commanded some strong men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the fiery furnace. 21 Then these men with their shirts, coats and cloaks and their other clothes were bound and thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 As now the king's word was so strict, and the furnace had become so exceedingly hot, the fiery furnace killed the men who had brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego up there.

Now all hope was lost for these 3 Jews? No one could survive such a thing, then even those who carried Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego up into the fiery furnace were themselves killed

We read further in the good book the following:
Daniel 3. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, were thrown bound into the fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was horrified and got up quickly. He spoke up and said to his councillors: Did we not throw three men bound into the fire? They answered the king: Of course, king! 25 He spoke again and said: But I see four men walking about loosely in the fire, and there is no harm to look at them, and the fourth looks like a son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, you servants of the most high God! Come out here! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. 27 And the satraps, governors, governors and the king's councilors came together; they saw that the fire had had no power over the bodies of these men, and that the hair on their heads had not been scorched, and that their shirts had suffered no damage; you couldn't even smell anything burnt on them.

We sing in a song, that the time of wonder is not over. This is exactly what happened.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were thrown bound into the fiery furnace.
What happened then? Did they burn up? No, an extra person came and they weren't scalded or burned anywhere. What a wonder, in that oven which obviously must have kept at least 1000 degrees.

We read further the reaction to this.
Daniel 3. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said: Blessed be the god of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent n angel and saved his servants, who put their trust in him and did against the king's word and risked their lives not to cultivate or worship any god but their god. 29 So now I give the order that whoever in his words opposes the god of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, whatever people or tribe or language he belongs to, he shall be cut in pieces, and his house shall be turned into a dunghill ; for there is no other god who is able to save in this way. 30 Then the king raised Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to honor and dignity in the land of Babel.

These who defied both the King, his command and the punishment for this. They won the victory, were delivered and exalted. Yet, the God of Israel was not allowed to set aside.
And those who had been evil against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were punished with death!

It is a reality to serve and belong to the living and true God. God is with, then who can be against?


We read in Daniel 6 about the same courage, faith and ability to stand against the enemy and evil in Daniel. As it was, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were also able to stand against evil, and God was with them!
We read of Daniel that he excelled. Daniel 6. 4 But Daniel distinguished himself above the councilors and satraps, because there was a high spirit in him, and the king thought of putting him over the whole kingdom.

This in turn created envy and hatred among those who were then set aside by Darius, who was then the sole ruler of the Medo-Persian kingdom that had taken over from the Babylonian kingdom.
Then these who were hateful and envious of Daniel came up with something that would really hit Daniel very, very hard.

We read in Daniel 6. 5 Then the councilors and the satraps sought to find fault with Daniel, the ruler of the kingdom in question, but they could not find any fault or any wrongdoing, since he was faithful, and there was no wrongdoing or any wrongdoing in him. 6 Then these men said: We find no fault with this Daniel, it should be that we could find something to accuse him of in his worship of God. 7 Then these councilors and satraps rushed in to the king and said to him: King Darius live forever! 8 All the councillors, the governors and the satraps, the councilors and the governors have consulted that a royal decree should be issued and a strict prohibition given, that whoever prays to any god or any human being except to you, king, during thirty days, shall thrown into the lion's den. 9 So now, O king, issue such a ban, and let it be set up in writing, so that according to the immutable law of the Medes and Persians it cannot be revoked. 10 In accordance with this, King Darius had a writ drawn up with such a prohibition.

Here the alternative was clear. If you were to worship someone within 30 days, the only one you could worship was King Darius.
What did Daniel do then? Scripture says the following.

Daniel 6. 11 But as soon as Daniel learned that the writing had been set up, he went into his house; there in his hall he had open windows facing Jerusalem, and three times a day he bowed his knees in prayer and praise before his God, just as he had done before. 12 Then these men rushed in and found Daniel praying and supplicating to his God. 13 Then they went before the king and asked with regard to the royal ban: Have you not caused a ban to be set up, that every person who prays to any god or any person other than you, king, during thirty days, should be thrown into the lion's den? The king replied: That word stands firm according to the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians. 14 Then they spoke up and said as they stood before the king: Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, has not paid attention to you, king, or to the prohibition you have set up; He prays three times a day. 15 When the king heard this, he became very sad and thought about how he could save Daniel, and until the sun went down, he took pains to deliver him. 16 Then these men rushed in on the king and said to him: Know, king, that the law of the Medes and Persians applies that no prohibition and no decree that the king issues can be changed.

Here Daniel was now in a dilemma. He was "caught" in the act of breaking the Royal and Media-Persian law. The sentence was clear, to be thrown alive to the hungry lions. Here the output was only one thing. Eaten alive by the hungry lions.

There was a way out, which we read about later in the chapter

We read further what happened.

Daniel 6. 17 Then the king ordered that Daniel should be taken and thrown into the lion's den. And the king spoke up and said to Daniel: Your God, whom you always worship, may he save you! 18 Then a stone was brought forward and placed over the opening of the cave, and the king sealed it with his own seal and that of his nobles, so that there could be no change in what had been done with Daniel. 19 Then the king went home to his palace and fasted all night, and he did not let any of his concubines come in to him, and sleep fled from him.

Now all hope was lost, right? Daniel was eaten alive by these hungry lions?
Or had something out of the ordinary happened?
We know that God - our God - is the God of wonder in abad situations!
The scripture says the following:

Psalm 68. 20. God is a God of salvation for us, and with the Lord, the God of Israel, there are exits from death.

Was this for Daniel? Was he dead or alive?

Daniel 6. 20 Early in the morning, as soon as it was light, the king got up and hurried to the lion's den. 21 And when he came near to the cave, he called with a sorrowful voice to Daniel. He spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, you servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you have always worshiped, been able to save you from the lions? 22 Then Daniel answered the king: May the king live forever! 23 My God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, so that they have done me no harm, because I have been found innocent before him, nor have I done anything wrong against you, O king. 24 Then the king was very happy and ordered that Daniel should be dragged up from the cave; and when Daniel was drawn up out of the cave, there was no harm in him, because he had believed in his God.

Hallelujah, God saved Daniel from the lion's mouth. Scripture says:
"My God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, so that they have done me no harm, because I have been found innocent before him, nor have I done anything wrong against you, O king."

Here God did a miracle for Daniel, he really wants to do that for all of us!
Daniel had death waiting for him, and it was they who inflicted these sufferings on Daniel. Which eventually ended up with the lions.

Daniel 6. 25 And the king ordered that the men who had complained about Daniel should be brought, and they remained with their children and wives thrown into the lion's den; and before they reached the bottom of the cave, the lions fell upon them and broke all their bones. 26 After that, King Darius wrote to all peoples, tribes and languages that existed on the whole earth: All good be yours in rich measure! 27 I hereby command that all people in the entire area of my kingdom shall tremble and fear before Daniel's God; for he is the living God, and abideth for ever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his dominion endureth unto the end. 28 He saves and delivers and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth - the one who saved Daniel from the lions. 29 And Daniel lived honored and happy both during the reign of Darius and Cyrus the Persian.

God always delivers his children - especially when we seek him. God's word says so clearly and clearly. Many, many places, here are two examples:

Psalm 50. 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall praise me.
Psalm 34. 5 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and he delivered me from all that terrified me. 6 They looked up to him and beamed with joy, and their faces never blushed with shame. 7 This wretch cried, and the Lord heard, and he saved him from all his troubles. 8 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 9 Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 10 Fear the Lord, you his saints! For those who fear him are in vain. 16 The eyes of the Lord are turned to the righteous, and his ears to their cry. 17 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. 18 They cry, and the Lord hears, and from all their troubles he delivers them. 19 The Lord is close to those who have a broken heart, and he saves those who have a broken spirit. 20 Many are the calamities of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. 21 He takes care of all his bones, not one of them is broken. 22 Misfortune kills the wicked, and those who hate the righteous are judged guilty. 23 The Lord redeems the souls of his servants, and none of those who take refuge in him are judged guilty.

Final comment

It is something extremely wonderful and wonderful to walk with God and Jesus.
It is as if none of the negativity, darkness, the world and evil's attacks and lies bite. There is victory in any area, even when it feels completely hopeless and darkness has gained a foothold and the upper hand. Always victorious in Jesus, over the enemy, the darkness and the world. I have presented here what the scriptures say and have included many scriptures so that you can chew and ponder over the words of the scriptures.
The glorious and wonderful experiences the saints had in the days of old. God is the same, Jesus is the same.

Hebrews 13. 8 For Jesus Christ is the same today as yesterday, and forever.

Yes, this is so strong and wonderful. It can't get any better than this

Will end with a song, a wonderful song.

In the shadow of that Cross there I will stand. There is balm for my soul to receive

So look my thoughts to Golgotha go,
where rest and strength for the soul I get.
Sometimes when I am weighed down by sorrow and trouble:
I hasten to the Cross, that place is dear to me.

In the shadow of that Cross, there I will stand,
there is balm for my soul to receive.
Many thousands stand there, but there is room for one and all.
Then come to Calvary with your heart's desire.

Behold, the man of sorrows took my sin and my shame.
In the heart there is a song of praise to Him.
And the sin that burdened me every day, every second,
He carried Him on the Cross, and I rejoice every moment.

My life is now hidden in His wounds and wounds.
Into God's presence boldly I stand.
If the world around me in anxiety now passes away:
on Golgotha the height so sure I stand.