When Trusting God Brings Crisis

Three young men stood before the king. These young men were leaders in his kingdom. They were well-respected, responsible, and had risen through the ranks. And now the king was furious with them.While everyone else had bowed down before his golden statue, these three stood.Trusting God brought crisis.The king questioned them.  "Is it true you don't serve my gods or worship my statue? I'll give you another chance. You know the consequences if you disobey. Now bow down!"These men stood tall. "O king. We don't need to answer you. Our God is able to deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we won't serve your gods or worship your statue."Trusting God intensified the crisis. The king was infuriated. His pride was wounded and he couldn't stand for that. He bound them up to have them burned alive.I see them standing strong as they faced death. But I see their thoughts racing and their heart pounding. I hear them praying silently, but in solidarity knowing that trusting God had brought them to this crisis.And I'm wondering if trusting God has brought you to crisis. If trusting God has intensified your crisis? What decisions have you made because you love God that have actually brought hardship in your life? What roads have you taken that have led you to a fiery furnace?Maybe you're standing before the fiery furnace now. Bound up and blindfolded. You know that if you would just bow down to the statue, everything would be okay. Nobody would blame you.Let me encourage to stand tall. Stand strong. And trust God ... even when it brings crisis.    

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... 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 3:17-18