Isaiah 43:2 ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you’
DAILY READING; • Ephesians 1; Ezekiel 4-5; Psalm 150
In 1966, standing before the U.S Senate Internal Security subcommittee, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, shocked the gathering, when he removed his shirt to show his scars from years of torture. He pointed to 18 deep scars in his neck and the numerous cuttings and carvings all over his back and body. These were the marks he had received as punishment for preaching the Gospel. As an evangelical minister, he had publicly preached against Communism and as a result, he was imprisoned for nearly fifteen years by the then Communist regime of Romania. He was subjected to severe brutality and horrors, yet, despite all these, he continued to preach even in the prison. Sometimes Pastor Wurmbrand would be beaten till he lost consciousness. Many died in these prisons, but somehow his strength always managed to return. In the ensuing years, in several different prisons, they broke four vertebrae in his back, and many other bones. They carved him in a dozen places and cut eighteen holes in his body.
However what is amazing was that even in the midst of all these suffering, Pastor Wurmbrand and the other Christian prisoners, would sing praises to God. They turned the chains that bound their hands and feet into musical instruments, banging it on the floor joyfully as they sang songs of praise. Finally in 1965, Christians paid a $10,000 ransom to the Romanian government to purchase the freedom of Wurmbrand and his family. When they were flown out of Romania and brought to Norway, doctors seeing all his wounds and the scars in his lungs from tuberculosis, declared that his being alive was a miracle…. he should have been dead years ago, yet God kept him. He lived to be 91 years and died on Feb. 17 2000.
Pastor Richard was so persecuted simply because he refused to bow to the evil of communism. The truth is that everyone’s faith will be tested. Though we may not pass through torture or imprisonment, but situations will come that will surely try our faith. However, whatever we pass through, our resolve should be that God will be continually glorified in all things. When we continue to give God glory inspite of the trials, He will surely deliver us from every fiery furnace.
In Daniel 3, the three Hebrew boys refused to bow down to the gods of Babylon. As a result of their defiance of the king’s order, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. However, right there in the fire, the fourth man, the Son of God, showed up and delivered them from the furnace.
Today many things are trying to get believers to bow and conform to the ways of the world. There is pressure to adjust and to adapt to the culture and the dictates of the world. The world wants us to be ‘normal’, and act like everyone else, They want us to indulge in lusts, to manipulate facts, to be immoral, indulge in sinful acts etc.
Non conformity to the world’s ways, and continuing to stand for righteousness often times attract persecutions. However no matter what you may face, always be assured that the son of God is able to pull you out of any fiery furnace.
In Isaiah 43:2 God says, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you’
No matter what is trying to force you to bow today, refuse to conform. Rather continue to obey God and follow His Word. Even when you face trials, always know you are never alone. God is there with you and He will never allow you to burn. He will not allow you to be put to shame or be tempted more than you are able to handle.
In case you are already facing any trial today, strengthen your heart through in-depth study of God’s Word. Continue to stand strong in faith and continue to praise God in every situation. As you do, the fourth man will certainly show up in the fire. Jesus, the son of God, will surely deliver you from every trial of affliction.
PRAYER: Lord, please strengthen me through Your Word and grant me the grace not to bow or conform to the ways of the world. Rather through faith I shall continue to stand strong and obey Your Word at all times in Jesus Name..
QUOTE
True success is not verifiable in the fact a man has never fallen before but rather in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up- WORDBITE 222.