The following note that I entered in my Bible...
...as
I read Daniel 3:1-30, the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they
refused to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had
set up, reminded me of an experience that I had regarding worship.
But first a little more information about our story from Daniel. This command from King Nebuchadnezzar, to worship was to be the response for all the peoples in
his kingdom whenever they heard “the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon,
psaltery, bagpipes” or ant other kind of music. But the trio of Israelite men would bow to worship no other god than the true and living God.
How this text really ministered to me
While recovering from an extremely painful surgery, wherein I spent many hours either silent or in tears, my husband began singing to me songs of the Christian faith. When I heard him singing (when I heard the sound of his music), I was reminded of the comforting biblical truths they expressed and that sparked in me a response of quietly singing with him.At the moment I began to sing with my husband, a flood of pain-relieving tears poured from my eyes. In worship of my God and King - the true God, not a false manmade god - the pain in my body fled. Now I wept with joy for the goodness and compassion of my Lord’s acknowledgement of my love for Him, expressed in my worship at a time when worshipping Him was the last thing on my mind.
And we see this also with the three Israelite men who were cast into the fiery furnace. The difference was that at the sound of the music, rather than fall to worship a false god, they remained standing by faith, committed to worship only Yahweh.
That was a worshipful response and for it they were cast into the fiery
furnace. But in that dreadful place, I’m sure like Paul and Silas in
the Roman jail, their worship became very vocal. Whether that was prayer
or singing or both, their reward was the visitation by a fourth man, the
Lord Himself, who prevented the fire from harming them and literally walked in
the now-quelled danger with them.
True Worship yields divine intervention
What divine and amazing rewards the Lord pours forth when we worship Him in the
most difficult, painful and even dangerous experiences of our lives. At the
sound of our praise and worship, which is music to His ears, He sends forth
protection, relief, freedom and peace.
We see His protection from death here in Daniel. We see His rescue from physical bondage in the Roman prison when Paul & Silas worshipped in song. And I experienced relief from excruciating pain when my mind, controlled by suffering, turned to worship.
We see His protection from death here in Daniel. We see His rescue from physical bondage in the Roman prison when Paul & Silas worshipped in song. And I experienced relief from excruciating pain when my mind, controlled by suffering, turned to worship.
The Martyrs and how they sang in the fire
And now I begin to understand how those who have been martyred - lit on fire and burned at the stake for their faith - have been able to enter God’s presence, joyfully worshipping in song. as the fire consumed them.They knew the divine power that Yahweh releases to rescue one from physical suffering when that suffering isn’t what is preeminent in their minds. Rather it is how God will use their suffering for His glory and in that they revel as they are empowered to worship Him even in the danger and/or pain. Their suffering is then transcended by His glorious presence as He walks with them in it just like He did in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. How amazing is our God?
But you may ask, what about Paul when he prayed three times for relief?
We read in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 about a suffering that the apostle Paul experienced. He asked the Lord three times to remove what he called "a thorn in the flesh". Though we are not certain of what his physical problem was, we can be certain that the Lord did indeed intervene in his suffering.
Paul's description of what the Lord did for him reads, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
How wonderful. Strength for weakness, sufficient grace for our insufficiencies, joyful praise for our sufferings! I'd say that the Lord ministered to Paul even though his pain remained. But God's marvelous grace was more than enough to motivate Paul to rejoice in his discomforts.
But there's something of even greater significance to all of this
However glorious these truths are, and they are wonderfully marvelous, they are not the most astounding truth as far as human
suffering is concerned. As I thought about the grace that God gives His
children, I realized that He did not give this same grace to His own Son
on the cross.
Jesus experienced the wrath of God, so that I can experience His grace
Jesus went to
the cross to bear the wrath of God that I as a sinner deserved. In
His suffering there on the tree, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Jesus could not cry out to His Father for help in His great distress for His Father had, in fact, turned away from Him. This is because He became sin, who knew no sin for me. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus could not cry out to His Father for help in His great distress for His Father had, in fact, turned away from Him. This is because He became sin, who knew no sin for me. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This is stunning, the most glorious exchange ever! Jesus took my sin and graciously gave me His righteousness. He experienced poverty so that I might gain His riches! "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though being rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Our Savior suffered like this for those who wanted nothing to do with Him
What adds further amazement to this unimaginable grace, is that Jesus suffered agony without any help from heaven for me while I still wanted nothing to do with Him. As one who had no use for the Creator, the full weight of the suffering that I
should have experienced, without any relief, without help from the throne
of grace (which I now experience daily) fell on Jesus. This truly is the most
startling truth concerning human suffering. Jesus, God in the flesh, was denied
this grace so that I can now experience it.
This is so humbling!
These truths realized create in me a humility, a desire to think less selfishly about my own suffering and recognize therein my Savior’s agonizing physical, emotional and spiritual pain on the cross from which He was denied relief.How can we respond, other than to truly worship our amazing Creator and Redeemer?
I now long to lift my voice in worshipful gratitude in every opportunity that
my suffering provides. And, of course, with every breath that is free of
suffering.
“As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
You're my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a King
And I love You more than any other
So much more than anything.
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire.
And I long to worship Thee
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