Date: Sunday, 28th July, 2024
Text: Daniel 3:16-18
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
A friend of mine, back in the university undergraduate days, was very fervent and dutiful in God’s work. He was a pleasant and cool person that always wore a smile on his face. Then tragedy struck. His beloved younger brother was very sick to the point of death. He prayed and prayed, poured out his heart to God believing firmly that the sickness would go and his brother would be back on his feet. But unfortunately, the unexpected happened and his sick brother died!
Many friends and brethren from the church came to console him but he would not be consoled. The devil really used this occasion to dampen his faith. He began to backslide in his heart gradually. He would often say, “Where was God when my beloved brother was sick to the point of death? Didn’t I pray, pleading with God to spare his life?”
His faith was really shattered; he threw all spiritual cautions into the winds and he went full blown into a sinful lifestyle.
It is possible that someone that once had a soft heart loses its softness. The devil throws arrows of disappointments, failure, discouragement etc against God’s faithful children with the intention of making them lose their softness. Delay in answered prayers can lead to frustration and if care is not taken, could lead to loss of faith and eventual hardness of heart.
Please, understand that God is Sovereign; he does as he pleases and he knows the best. The word of God says, “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers, that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” Isaiah 57:1-2
In order to maintain the softness of your heart, let your faith in God be unconditional and resolute. As you relate with the Most High, love Him wholeheartedly.
Be like the Hebrew boys when their lives were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar, the word of God says, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18
Prophetic Nugget: Receive grace to remain soft-hearted in Jesus name.