The Fire WithinSample

EVEN IF HE DOES NOT READ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were forced by the king of Babylon to worship a statue after his image. Everyone else in the country gave in, except these three. When they refused to bow down, the king threatened to kill them. They responded by choosing to trust in God in life or in death. Are you in a situation where you are being pressured to disobey God? Some of us feel this pressure from family members, classmates, or friends. Our own sinful nature constantly calls on us to go back to sinful habits. Even the world system—the movies we watch, the songs we hear, and some ideas on the internet—tells us that we are missing out on what everybody else is doing. Whatever the source, are we convinced that like these three men, God is able to rescue us? Even more remarkably, they would not bow down even if God did not rescue them. This is because they valued their relationship with God more than anything else. God was so precious and satisfying that the world could not bribe or intimidate them. REFLECT 1. What kind of pressure to give in to the world are you currently feeling? What is the most common way that this hits you? 2. How does your relationship with God help you deal with the pressures around you? RESPOND 1. List the most common pressures that affect you the most. Prayerfully ask God to give you the grace to overcome these pressures. 2. Make sure you have someone you can talk to about the pressures that you are most affected with. Take time to pray with that person whenever you feel pressured, especially during times when you are tempted to give in.