The Jewish companions of Daniel—Shadrach, Meschak, and Abednego, went through the sufferings of deportation as war captives from their homeland in Israel by the Babylonians, placed into their heathen government service, always maintaining their kosher integrity and loyalty to their God. God showed up for them awesomely after the idol worshipping despot Nebuchadnezzar threw them into a tremendously stoked up furnace for disobeying his totally unreasonable and blasphemous edict to worship his horrid idol. God appeared in the fire of the furnace with them and completely protected them from the intense heat. He performed a similar spectacular rescue for Daniel from the den of lions (see Daniel 3 and 6). Job, although declared righteous by God Himself, suffered tremendously from the loss of everything, including his health, with God’s consent to Satan to destroy him (Job 2:3 – 7). But the story ends with God encountering Job, putting him in his place, and restoring all his fortunes, family, and health (Job 38, 42). Their God is the same today for the saints under the New Covenant in the blood of Christ. But many seem to think otherwise amidst all of the present turmoil and decline in our nation and across the world. They live in fear and anxiety about rumors and troubles and certain disaster that appears to be coming upon the world. We need to hear the word of the great preacher from the 19th century England.
“The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.
Psalm 126:3: Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come forward joyously, and say, ‘I will speak, not about myself, but to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad.’ Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that anychild of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us ‘out into a wealthy place.’ The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s song, ‘He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.’” -Charles Spurgeon, Christian Sermon Classics-Morning and Evening, Morning June 9.
All About God's Amazing Grace 