Friendship (II Part)
This continues my March 30th post.
When Daniel interpreted the dream to king Nebuchadnezzar this is what the King said to Daniel in Daniel 2:47-49 - "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
The king placed him in a high position and Daniel did not forget about his friends. He spoke to the king and was able to appoint his friends as administrators. A friend never forgets a friend or what that person has done for you. A friend shares the blessing. You might have shared times of hardship, of tears, of fasting together but there will come a time in which God above will lift you and your friend up.
Every friendship is going to be tested. Where there are true friends, the test or the trial will strengthen the relationship instead of weakening it. They were united in one spirit. Beware of gossip, don't let that damage your friendship. Don't allow a word of correction given in love to destroy a friendship.
Not everybody is going to be happy about your success. Going back to Daniel 3 and the image the King built. We can read in Daniel 3:8-12 the following:
At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon -Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego- who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
They told the king because they were full of envy. They knew these young men were not going to fall down and worship this image. Friendships will have to overcome envy, bribery, lies, misunderstandings, intrigues. You have to keep your identity and what will keep a friendship alive is your spiritual life. If it's not convenient for you, God will remove it from your life. Friends, through their spiritual lives, share values.
But there will also be times in which God will take away a friend. We don't know exactly what happened but when the King made the image only Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were thrown into the furnace...where was Daniel? Maybe he was sent somewhere else as an ambassador for the kingdom but what we do know is that he wasn't there and he could not make a request to the king or speak on their behalf. The influence of a friendship remains even if your friend is not there with you physically. Daniel was not there, he could not speak to the king on their behalf, but I'm sure that wherever he was, he was praying to the One that can do all things.
There is something else that needs to be in the middle of a friendship...faith.
Hebrews 11:33-34 - who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Faith will always tell the truth. Faith can't work with lies or excuses. Faith is trusting God even though you do not know the result.
These young men said in Daniel 3:17-18 - If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." When there are friends, they strengthen each other they don't back up. They did not know there was a fourth man. It is easy to act and go forward when you know the result. Faith is a determination, a going forward. The friendship they built kept them together and allowed them to find the fourth man.
Daniel 3:19-21 - He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
They were thrown in, but they were not taken out. Daniel 3:26 - So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire. They came out by themselves. The devil will want to put you into a test or trial but you will come out of it. The only thing that will be burned is the rope with which he tied you up, the bondage that the devil used to bound you.
Daniel 3:26-30 - Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Their friendship stood the trial and passed the test and so will yours. I hope this message will help you and it is my prayer that you'll be blessed by what you have read. I pray the word of God throughout this post will become as it says in Hebrews 4:12 - living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. If there is anything that is not properly explained I ask your forgiveness and know that total responsibility falls upon me and not my pastors message, as there might have been something lost in translation... God bless!... :-)
When Daniel interpreted the dream to king Nebuchadnezzar this is what the King said to Daniel in Daniel 2:47-49 - "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
The king placed him in a high position and Daniel did not forget about his friends. He spoke to the king and was able to appoint his friends as administrators. A friend never forgets a friend or what that person has done for you. A friend shares the blessing. You might have shared times of hardship, of tears, of fasting together but there will come a time in which God above will lift you and your friend up.
Every friendship is going to be tested. Where there are true friends, the test or the trial will strengthen the relationship instead of weakening it. They were united in one spirit. Beware of gossip, don't let that damage your friendship. Don't allow a word of correction given in love to destroy a friendship.
Not everybody is going to be happy about your success. Going back to Daniel 3 and the image the King built. We can read in Daniel 3:8-12 the following:
At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon -Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego- who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
They told the king because they were full of envy. They knew these young men were not going to fall down and worship this image. Friendships will have to overcome envy, bribery, lies, misunderstandings, intrigues. You have to keep your identity and what will keep a friendship alive is your spiritual life. If it's not convenient for you, God will remove it from your life. Friends, through their spiritual lives, share values.
But there will also be times in which God will take away a friend. We don't know exactly what happened but when the King made the image only Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were thrown into the furnace...where was Daniel? Maybe he was sent somewhere else as an ambassador for the kingdom but what we do know is that he wasn't there and he could not make a request to the king or speak on their behalf. The influence of a friendship remains even if your friend is not there with you physically. Daniel was not there, he could not speak to the king on their behalf, but I'm sure that wherever he was, he was praying to the One that can do all things.
There is something else that needs to be in the middle of a friendship...faith.
Hebrews 11:33-34 - who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Faith will always tell the truth. Faith can't work with lies or excuses. Faith is trusting God even though you do not know the result.
These young men said in Daniel 3:17-18 - If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." When there are friends, they strengthen each other they don't back up. They did not know there was a fourth man. It is easy to act and go forward when you know the result. Faith is a determination, a going forward. The friendship they built kept them together and allowed them to find the fourth man.
Daniel 3:19-21 - He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
They were thrown in, but they were not taken out. Daniel 3:26 - So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire. They came out by themselves. The devil will want to put you into a test or trial but you will come out of it. The only thing that will be burned is the rope with which he tied you up, the bondage that the devil used to bound you.
Daniel 3:26-30 - Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Their friendship stood the trial and passed the test and so will yours. I hope this message will help you and it is my prayer that you'll be blessed by what you have read. I pray the word of God throughout this post will become as it says in Hebrews 4:12 - living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. If there is anything that is not properly explained I ask your forgiveness and know that total responsibility falls upon me and not my pastors message, as there might have been something lost in translation... God bless!... :-)
posted by Mary Gaby at
11:46 AM
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