A Fiery Furnace, a Lion's Den and living in Christ.

 I have been thinking about the many struggles and problems that we are facing as a people. I am not going to say that people that don't look like me or act like me are wrong. I am not saying that all Democrats are wrong and all Republicans are right. The fact is, there are people on both sides that are right and wrong. There are people who made terrible decisions, poor decisions and right decisions. And it could well be that the same person did all three things in the same day.

But wait a minute. Isn't that the way of life? I think about my life and I think who I have done what is good and right, what is bad and wrong and everything in between (those gray areas that we like to color that way because we don't want to make a black or white decision because we don't want to be put on the spot). As sinners, that is what happens. 

But wait, why would I say that? Why would I fall back on that statement? Am I defining myself as a sinner? Have I forgotten something important? Have I forgotten that I am a baptized child of God, which means that my identity is found not in my sinful nature but is found in the grace and mercy of God. I am a child of God. I do not have to give in to the sinful decisions and actions that temptation lays before me. I can turn to the Holy Spirit, turn to the waters of my Baptism, to find the strength to live as a child of God.

I have been thinkings about this a lot lately. I want to put before you some people who faced situations much like we face, and stood firm in the faith that they had been given. I am thinking of when King Nebuchadnezzar sat up his golden image and said, "Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace." (Daniel 3:6 ESV) Then we are introduced to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They would not worship another god. They worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They followed the true God. When the music played, they would not bow down. Didn't they know that they could die? Didn't they know that no one goes into a fiery furnace and walk out of it alive? Of course they did. They understood their actions. They trusted in the Lord. They even said, "If not (if God would not save them from the fires), be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:18 ESV) Their faith led them. They stood firm in faith. And they were thrown into the furnace.

Then you have Daniel. A document was signed that said that no one could worship any other god than the king. We are told, "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." (Daniel 6:10 ESV) Even though he knew that if he prayed to God, he would be thrown into the lion's den. No one ever goes into the lion's den and survives. Yet, he continued to pray to God, just as he had done in the days before. He did not stop praying to God. Nor did he hide it. He could have hidden in his closet, did his prayers, and no one would have know. But he did exactly as he did every day. He did not let those who were opposed to him and his faith stop him from praying. He prayed.

All of them lived their faith. They did so in the face of persecution. They did so with the threat of death. They trusted in God. They lived their faith. I think about that, and I think, that is what I need to do. I need to continue to live my life of faith no matter what is going on in society. Will I be attacked because I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior? I don't know. But then again, I don't really care. I need to focus on how the Lord wants me to live, not how the world wants me to live.

I am to continue to love those around me. I am to love those who are different from me. I am to love those who don't agree with me. But I am not to give up my faith in order to do so. So you might disagree with me. That is all right. In Christ, I still love you. I pray for you. I pray that the Holy Spirit would bring peace between us. 

I pray for our nation. I pray for our leaders. I pray for the people. I pray that we would find a way to work together no matter where we stand. That is what we are to do. Instead of attacking each other, let us work to understand each other. In Christ, I pray that I might be just that. Lord, send Your Holy Spirit to me, that I might follow Your will in my life. Amen.