Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Are you happy? When people ask you about your day, do you immediately tell them all the good things that occurred in your life or do you waste your time discouraging them with all the bad things […]

Proverbs 22:12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
The knowledge of the ways of the Lord are preserved from generation to generation. How many kings have tried to destroy Christianity? How many rulers have attempted to get rid of religion? Ever since the resurrection of Jesus, there […]

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
We have been instructed to add knowledge of the ways of the Lord to our life. In this passage, we see that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of knowledge. If you do not have the […]

Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
The religious leaders recognized that God had performed a mighty miracle through Peter […]

Psalms 140:7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
When Joshua fought against Amalek, Moses stood upon the hill lifting up the rod of God. As long as Moses’ hands were raised, Joshua prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew weary and fell down, then Amalek […]

Psalms 114:7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
In this Psalm we see several example of how God controls the earth. The psalmist draws our attention to the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. In addition, we are reminded of how God turned a rock into water. God […]

Psalms 108:13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
It is important to remember that of yourself you can do nothing. If you take the time to examine many of the Old Testament battles, you will see that it was God working through individuals so that HE […]

Psalms 77:11 I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
There is nothing that requires you to remember all the good things God has done for you. God does not require that you spend four hours each day thinking about all the things HE has done for […]

Psalms 11:1 In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

David made a commitment in his heart that regardless what occurred in his heart, he was going to trust in the Lord. David understood that there would be times when things would become difficult and that those around him would encourage him to take matters into his own hands but David made a commitment to God. Regardless what trials occurred in his life, David was going to put his trust in the Lord and not in his own strength.

In verse five of this Psalm, David acknowledges that the Lord brings trials into the life of the righteous. David understood that trials are God�s way of testing HIS children to see who will really trust in HIM and who will rely upon their own strength. When trials come into your life, how will you respond? Have you made a commitment to God that when you seem to face difficult times, your trust will be in God?

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Christ teaches the importance of the fear of the Lord. Because of man�s sin nature, he naturally fears that which he can see. However, Christ is teaching about a new perspective, a perspective where you should fear that which you cannot see. How many people throughout the ages have been willing to deny their faith in order to spare their own life or the life of a love one?

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were faced with the decision, were they going to deny their faith in order to save their lives or were they going to forsake their lives in order to remain true to God. Daniel�s three friends choose to fear God rather than man. They understood that they might die, but they also were more concerned with living eternity in heaven rather than living just a few more years on earth but eternity in hell.

Daniel 3:17-18 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image that was approximately 90 feet tall. He ordered that upon the sound of the music playing, everyone was to bow down to the golden image. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow down to the image as they were ordered. The king was going to give Daniel�s three friends a second chance at bowing down to his golden image. However, when Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah told the king that they were not going to bow down to a false god the second chance was taken away. The king commanded that the fiery furnace be made seven times hotter.

Daniel 2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He called his magicians, astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans and requested that they tell him the meaning of his dream. Nebuchadnezzar refused to tell the dream because he had forgotten it. All the men who the king had asked to tell him the dream insisted that if the king told them his dream, then they would be able to interpret the dream. Because these men could not tell him his dream, he made a decree to kill all the wise men. Daniel and his three friends were included in this group.

Hebrews 11:34a Quenched the violence of fire,

Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had the difficult choice; bow down and worship a god made by man�s hands or be thrown into a fiery furnace. These men chose to trust God and told Nebuchadnezzar that God could save them from the fire. Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fire and the fire did not destroy them.

By faith they trusted in God and they were saved. Daily you make choices that affect your life and the lives of those around you. Your choice is probably not bow down or be killed. Nonetheless, every day you choose how to spend each second of your day. You can pray for the needs of others or pray for yourself. You can choose to share Christ with the cashier or you can remain silent. You can choose to encourage someone or you can spend the time entertaining yourself.