Daniel Review Continued

Another lesson from the book of Daniel is that we may find ourselves in the fiery furnace because of our faith.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faithful to God, but God did not keep them out of the furnace.  If we begin to proclaim a gospel that states that God wants us happy, then there is no room for a fiery furnace experience.  God wants us faithful, and we already have a promise of all the riches of heaven, but even there they will not be what is important.  I don't believe that this means that every follower of Christ will always be delivered in this life from every situation in which their faith is tried by fire, but their deliverance to everlasting life is always assured.  Many of the early New Testament Christians died horrible deaths because of their faith, but they will live forever with Christ.  We also need to remember that we are New Testament Christians, and we may have our faith tested.  If we do not have a faith that will lead us into the fire for the sake of our faith, then we may be weighed in the balance and found wanting.  Next, we need to realize the importance of prayer in the daily life of a follower of Christ.  Daniel could have prayed quietly or behind closed doors for thirty days and have avoided the lions den, but he chose to pray out where people could see, even if it meant going into the lion's den.  It is not enough to silently worship God, even in the face of adversity.  As believers in God, all four could have died, but their everlasting fate was already secured because of their faith.  They were delivered for the glory of God.  As followers of Christ, our salvation is assured, so if we live through very dangerous situations that we are in because of our faith, it will always be for God's glory.  We also need to acknowledge that if God delivers us safely from these situations it is because we still have work to do for Him.