Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were amazing examples of what we should be like. They didn’t care what the King was going to do to them for not worshipping the statue that he had made and commanded all to worship. He told them he would throw them in the fire if they did not bow down to this statue. They said that their God would either save them, or even if he did not, that they would still not bow down in worship of this image.

What kind of faith, obedience, and love for their God does that show you and me? Wow! Would we, if in that same position, have done the same thing as they did? We see how it turned out, they were able to walk around in the fiery furnace and not even smell like smoke! We know that their God and our God did save them, did uphold them for their faithfulness to Him.

How often I doubt when I ask for things. Just the other night, I asked God for help, for something totally stupid, but it was a crisis for me at the time. I have a lot of outside cats that take shelter in my garage. I leave the door open so they can come and go as they please through the day, but at night I shut the door to keep those that decide to stay in for the night, safe from the night creatures (like coyotes). Well, l that night, I was late getting the door shut, and this possum decided to come in and feast on cat food. When I opened the door to go out to the garage to feed the cats, I was met with this loud growl, and I knew it wasn’t a cat, perhaps a tiger, or a lion, but not one of my little kitties…then I saw the possum under the steps, with his teeth bared, and growling at me like he was going to tear me to pieces. (As an aside here, let me tell you that possums are one of the ugliest creatures that God ever made!)


I had to get him out of there, because I didn’t want him to spend the night with my cats in the garage and he wasn’t going to go out on his own. (Seems he didn’t know where the door was). Well, I prayed, right then and there…Lord, I need a little help here. I’ve got to get this thing out of here. What do you suggest I do? I grabbed the first thing I came to which was a garden hoe, and Mr. Possum didn’t care for that…did you know that possums hiss too? I gave up and left the door wide open thinking maybe he will leave on his own. Praying that God would give him guidance out the door.

I went back out to the garage a half hour later, and he was still sitting in the same place, hadn’t even moved…he was playing possum I suppose. I prayed again, Lord, I need your help here! Now. I got the broom off of the hook on the wall and started shooing him out with that. It actually got him to the corner, but behind the door that he needed to go through. I just kept right on praying, and wouldn’t you know, I was able to guide him out the door with the broom, just as smooth as could be.

Do I think God heard my prayer and helped me out? You bet! The possum wasn’t moving before, and then he was. God had mercy on me, and I had faith enough to cry out to Him for help. But did I have the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? No. I had that little seed of doubt that God would even care about my little problem. I mean, come on, how important is getting a possum out of my garage, compared to all the other problems that God has to deal with? That little seed of doubt nearly made me not ask for help, but asking for His help is second nature to me, so I cried out in my helplessness, and He heard me.

Is this the God I want to spend eternity with? Yes, but even if He hadn’t helped me out, I would still want to be there with Him.  How about you?