Rescued from fear of death

1 Kings 21; Psalm 107; Daniel 3; 1 Thessalonians 4

Several weeks ago I stood in line to enter a large store that had restrictions on the number of people allowed inside due to Covid-19. I chatted with the lady six feet behind me. She quietly told me, “I believe that God controls who gets Covid and who does not.” I agreed, yet both of us knew that God is not arbitrarily putting sickness on people. It was more like He is protecting who He protects. Everyone eventually dies and for some, a virus is not the way nor the time.

Today I read again the miraculous story of Daniel’s three friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they would not bow down and worship the king. They were singled out for this fate because they worshiped God and were “maliciously accused” by those who hated them. Then the king confronted them and asked, “Who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16–18)

The king was furious and ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal, then ordered his men to bind the three and toss them in. They did so, but the fire was so hot that these men died instantly as the three who worshiped God fell bound into the fire. Little did any realize that this was not their time. Most of us know the rest of the story:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:24–25)

The three were brought out without harm and not so much as the smell of fire on them. The king then blessed God and eventually worshiped Him.

Not every rescue and protection from danger is as dramatic as this one, yet it is obvious to me that God is in charge of life and death. When I was a child, my parents were told that I would not live to age sixteen. My mother said she prayed otherwise. Many years later, I am still here.

My hubby has a blood cancer that was discovered more than a dozen years ago. His oncologist recently said to him, “Your blood work is a train wreck. Why you are not sick is a mystery. It must be some sort of divine intervention.”

Both situations but more so the Word of God convince me that God is in charge and being determined to live for Him is important. The men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire served their king but not The King. This trio trusted God and knew that He could deliver them, but even if He didn’t, they would not give in to idolatry.

APPLY: This shows me that worshiping God is not a bargaining chip. I cannot avoid disaster by it nor does He promise anyone a spectacular deliverance from harm. However, just knowing He can deliver me takes away all fear. I obey the pandemic rules, do not play in traffic, yet do not live in fear. When it is my turn it is my turn and I know where I will be after I die. Faith in Jesus Christ assures me of eternal life. My enemy is no longer the fear of death, only the Liar who tries to make me afraid of death and most everything else.