God’s provision is phenomenal. Maybe you can relate! Either one of those “I can’t believe it happened,” or “I can’t believe it didn’t happen.” It is the two-sided coin of grace and mercy. One side says we don’t get what we deserve and the other side is the proclamation of we got what we didn’t deserve. He is generous.
In the book of Daniel, there is this passage of 3 guys getting in trouble with the government for not bowing down to an idol. What do they deserve according to the law of the land? DEATH. These three guys are known as Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego. They are destined for death in the furnace. So much so and the officials are so angry at them, that the furnace gets turned up hotter and hotter and hotter. Death is eminent! And that is the deserving end in the country!
But here is the part of the story showing God’s grace and mercy. There are three key incredible THANK YOU LORD moments.
One - the guys don’t die in the fire. They didn’t get what they humanly deserved and what everything thought would happen.
Two - the guys were not alone in the fire, there were four in the furnace. God was with them. That is something above and beyond what anyone would have thought. God never leaves us.
Three - it says, “there was no smoke on them!” When someone is in a fire, they should smell like smoke. They were gifted something different than what was expected.
During this month November, please pause with me and say “Thank you God for the blessings of grace and mercy. For not giving me what I deserve and for giving me what I don’t deserve.”
Now for a little change to these three guys names to help remember these key points.
Should, Mess and AwayWeGo.
What SHOULD have happened didn’t
The MESS was changed by God.
And because of God’s grace AWAYWEGO in peace and AWAYWEGO to heaven.
Thank you Lord.
