a little of what i've been learning...

it's funny how many times you can hear a bible story or an encouraging word or bible verse from someone, and just not really let its application sink in. there are tons of bible stories i've heard over and over during the course of my life, but never really taken anything from them or seen what truth i can take away from them and apply in my life.

a couple of weeks ago, my mom was talking to me about the story of shadrach, meshach and abednego. you can find it in daniel 3 - just in case you want to look it up. :) it's a story i've heard over and over and thought about how "cool" it is, but that's really it. i've honestly never put much more thought into it than that. multiple times, over the past 2 weeks, though - God has brought that story to mind and given me insight into how i can apply it to my life and where i am right now.

i've struggled big time the past couple of months with understanding why sometimes when i feel like i'm being obedient to God, do things turn out completely differently than i thought. if i'm trying to listen and obey and i have a peace about my decisions that i feel sure come from God, then why would i end up in the middle of heartache and chaos?

shadrach, meshach and abednego were totally being obedient to God. they definitely didn't make any mistakes by not bowing down to the gold statue that nebuchadnezzar had set up. yet somehow, they still ended up in the middle of chaos - in the middle of a blazing fire! but, God was totally there with them. and, in the end, it says they came out not even smelling like smoke. i mean, how could they give credit and glory to anyone other than God after that?

i feel like i'm standing in some fires of life right now - even after making decisions i thought were being obedient. but, i know that God is right there with me - even when i feel all alone or discouraged. and, at the end of all this - i know God is going to deliver me and i want to come out of this like shadrach, meshach, and abednego - not even smelling like smoke! it's exciting to think that at the end of all this i can look back and give glory to God alone for the way i know He will deliver me. even now, the way my heart and thoughts and attitudes have been growing and changing, can't be attributed to anyone other than Him!

while at camp, i was also struck by another sort of reality or truth that i can take away from this story. we talked a lot about God's plan for our lives and His direction and leading. one of the questions i asked the girls in my cabin one night during devotions was if they thought always knowing exactly what God's will was and what He had planned next would make it easier to follow. i'm pretty sure just about every girls hand was raised, saying they thought this would be easier. and honestly, before really studying and processing this bible story - i have to say, i would have totally agreed with them.

now for my new perspective. if i was shadrach, meshach or abednego i'm not sure it would have been any easier for me to follow God's plan for my life if He told me it included literally being thrown into a fire. especially once i was informed of the fact that it was because i was choosing to serve only Him and no other gods. i mean, my reward for obedience is something that is sure to lead to my death? i feel like that's a question i would be asking - but, i definitely don't think knowing that was God's plan for my life would make following it any more enticing. in the end, God still received all the glory and praise due to Him, but i don't think i'd have been all happy go lucky to jump on board with that plan! so really, knowing the plan, probably wouldn't have made things any easier.

i guess, to me, the reality of it is i don't know God's plan for my life. and, i'm never going to know exactly what He has next. what i do know, is that in good times and bad, He is with me every step of the way and i want to always be living in obedience to Him. regardless of my circumstance, i want to live my life so that when people look at me, they see Jesus working in me. i want my life to always point to Christ - whether i'm standing in the fire or not.