“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.'” — Daniel 3:28
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Because of their faith and devotion, God could have easily stepped in and saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from entering the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). But God had something more in mind for these young men who would proclaim His power and sovereignty to the whole world. God did not deliver them from the furnace — because He wanted to deliver them through the furnace.
The same could be said for Rebekah Bradford, who trained many years to make it to the Olympics in speedskating, only to fall down just 20 feet before the finish line. While there was sorrow, grief and anger in why it happened to her, God had something more in store for Bradford’s faith and to proclaim Himself through her.
A rule allowed her to re-skate by herself, and after some deliberation she decided to try again. Proverbs 24:16 came to mind as she thought about re-skating: “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” She ended with the fastest time and earned a spot on the 2010 Olympic team. While her fall would have crushed many, God was able to use a faithful girl to bring glory and honor to Himself through her experience.
How do you handle disappointments? Do you shut down or try again, even if it feels humbling to do so? Do you allow disappointments to crush you or do you allow God to walk alongside you? Do you turn away from God or do you look to see how He is going to work through you?
— Tim Pitcher
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