Is anything too hard for God? Throughout the Bible we see story after story of the miracles of God. One of the most memorable is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace.
In chapter 3 of Daniel, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, erected a massive image of gold and commanded all of his subjects to worship it. Anyone who failed would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
Soon, word reached Nebuchadnezzar that three Jews were refusing to worship. They had already found favor in the king, so he gives them one last chance. If they refused this time, he would throw them into the furnace. He said, “And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Dan. 3:15). The king spoke very frankly here. No god he ever heard of could save them. But, he didn’t know the God of Israel. Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego, however, knew Him and trusted in Him. They responded, “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (v. 17).
So, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they be thrown into the furnace. They raised the temperature of the furnace seven times hotter and cast them into the blaze. But, when the king peered into the furnace, all three men were untouched and were accompanied by someone like a son of God.
The miracle astounded Nebuchadnezzar. He had never seen anything like this. He was filled with so much awe and fear of the power of God that he made a decree that no one speak anything against Him. He said, “… because there is no other god who can deliver like this” (v. 29).
Our God is able to deliver like no other. His power exceeds all the universe. There is nothing too difficult for God (Gen. 18:14). We know and believe this. Then, why do we struggle to accept God’s forgiveness? Many of us will look at the sins of our past and wonder, “How could God forgive a wretch like me?” Have we forgotten who God is?
Our Lord is not some false image, incapable of delivering or some myth we tell our children to help them fall asleep. He is Jehovah, the God who saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed -Nego from the fiery furnace! If He can do something as amazing as that, surely God is able to forgive. If we let it, the guilt of our past can cripple our spiritual growth and work in His church. But, if you are a faithful Christian, then you can rest assured that God has taken all your sins from you and has made you worthy for the work of His kingdom. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” (Eph. 2:10). How? Because God is able.
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