FAITHFUL LIVING IN A CHANGING WORLD

Faithful NIGEL WINDER | SUNZ Children and Families Consultant, Otago & Southland Living IN A CHANGING

WORLD

Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? There’s nothing like times of unprecedented change to make one feel a little sticky under the collar. Change can even challenge our faith. In the Book of Daniel chapter three, we find the story of three young men who were living in unprecedented times that challenged their faith and literally landed them in the furnace. You probably know the story—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Hebrew slaves ripped from their homeland Israel by the nation of Babylon, ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar. Their families, homes and place of worship had gone up in flames. In this strange new world, they had a choice—as do we—to assimilate. They could have kept their heads down and blended in. But the scriptures warn us, 'Do not love the world or the things in the world.'—1 John 2:15 ESV. Another option in tough times (that we have, but they didn’t) is one of elimination of any influence from the world. We look to protect ourselves rather than step out boldly in faith. Again, the Scriptures warn us this is not God’s plan, 'My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.'—John 17:15-16. But these young men did not do either of these things. A fire within them burned bright and strong. The option they took was transformation—being in the world, salt, and light, but not of the world. This is 'activating faith' that trusts and obeys God no matter what.— Romans 12:2 We see them making this choice repeatedly throughout Daniel 1 and 2. They refused to eat the king's food in violation of the law of Moses, they excelled in their studies, they treated those around them with respect and kindness. They attributed their success, wisdom, and gifting to the one true God. Faith was their defence and weapon of survival and thriving in an unprecedented and changing world, and it protected them in the furnace. This world's furnace may only get hotter, but God promises to be in the furnace with us when we live by faith. Let’s seek to do the same as these young men did in Babylon. Let’s wrap ourselves in the fire-proof blanket of faith.