September 25, 2026 Devo

September 25th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments.” – Daniel 3:19:21 (NLT)
“We Are SO Blessed”

Sometimes, to realize how good you’ve got it, you have to compare yourself with people who have it worse. You know what I mean? Some of us feel like we’re poor. That is, until we meet people who are living in cardboard boxes and find their meals in dumpsters. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves because we have all these aches and pains. Then we see people who are permanently disabled or live with chronic pain, and we recognize our lives aren’t so bad after all. Sometimes we think the sky is falling when laws are passed that don’t coincide with our Christian faith, or things are allowed that we believe to be unacceptable. Then we hear about places where the Christian faith is outlawed altogether, and we remember how blessed we truly are.
Recently I prayed for a couple who are going to minister in a place where Christianity isn’t embraced. A place where you have to be careful about what you say and who you say it to. A place where doing or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time could get you beaten up, kicked out of the country, or killed. 99% of us will never know persecution like that. We complain if the church doesn’t serve the kind of coffee that we like. Let’s face it, gang. We’re spoiled.
That’s what hit me when I read our passage today. The three Hebrews didn’t do anything other than politely refuse to bow down to some man-made statue. They didn’t mock anyone, hit anyone, or hurt anyone. They didn’t even condemn or judge the king who told them to do it. They simply humbly said, “No, we can’t do that.” And for that heinous crime, they were thrown into a furnace of fire.
Let me just say this out loud. We’re BLESSED. No, I don’t agree with everything our government does. Yes, there are things that are allowed that violate what I believe the Bible teaches and things I’m pretty sure break the heart of God. But I still worship God openly, freely, and without fear. I can share my faith, invite someone to church, or testify about what God’s done in my life without wondering whether I’m going to be arrested or hurt. On my WORST days, I don’t wonder if I’m going to lose my life for following the Lord. Let’s be honest, folks. Most of us have no idea what it’s like to truly suffer for Jesus. We are SO blessed. That’s God’s Word for you today.