How to please God
Late 3rd century/early 4th century Christians depicted the fiery furnace in the Catacombs of Priscilla, Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Hebrews 11:6 When we are facing a tough, extreme, or tragic situation, our faith is either strengthened or destroyed. Consider the intensity of a fire. Most things can’t withstand its heat, as it can consume entire forests and neighborhoods in a matter of days. But the same fire doesn’t burn up gold. Instead, it purifies it. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the furnace, they confirmed they would praise only the living God . It was a death sentence . They could have decided to save themselves by doing what the king wanted, but their faith would have been unreliable—burned up in the midst of danger. Instead they went against the king by keeping their loyalty to the Lord . Their faith was purified. Whether God saved them or decided not to, their faith didn’t waver because the holy object of their faith never wavers. (And God did save...