'Nuff Said

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands Isaiah 49:16

He lifted me out of a slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:27

We Three!

Put me in a fiery furnace? Um...no thanks!!

In the third chapter of Daniel that is exactly what happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king had ordered that EVERYONE bow down to a statue that he had set up. It was widely known that if you refused to do this then you would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

These three courageous young men chose to stand firm in their belief in the One True God and not bow down. They chose this knowing the trial they would face.

These three people...

Well, we did not "choose" our trial and honestly had we known what was coming, I am afraid to say we probably each would have taken off running. In 2007 I became ill (you can read about in the sidebar) and was basically homebound for 18 months. During that time, my husband of 18 years left and filed for divorce. The kids and I were left alone.

Or were we?

When you read the story of the three courageous young men in Daniel we learn that after they were thrown in the furnace, they could be seen walking around and a fourth person was there with them. The king was so amazed that he ordered them to come out. They were not burned, they did not even smell of smoke. God has gone into the fiery trial with them!

God has been in this trial with David, Ellie and myself. Never has He left us. There have been blessings from this time that I would not trade for anything. Relationships. A stronger family. Deeper faith. Seeing the body of Christ come together. A testimony. A love for the Lord unknown to me before.

HE promised me beauty from ashes. He never fails to keep His promises! NEVER.

This journey through Daniel over at Amber's blog has been a surprise to me. Each of us is taking away something so different. You should hop over there and read what God is showing to others.

Please keep praying for my kids (David and Ellie) that they will see God's hand of protection on us and not become resentful. They can be used mightily for the Lord, I just know it!