Their boldness made the King to change the law of the land and exalt the three Hebrews. “And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
“Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.” Daniel 3:27-29
The three Hebrew children “trusted Him”, they had absolute confidence in God, and they were not moved by the threat of the King or by the belief of others who succumbed to the King’s threat. You must be confident because the Greater One is in you. The way the Maker is in you. The one who can kill and make alive is in you. (1 John 4:4)
“The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up,” 1 Samuel 2:6. The eternal God who is your refuge is in you. “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” Deuteronomy 33:26-27.
The one who alone can make you dwell in safety is in you and He is your God.
“Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places,” Deuteronomy 33:28-29.
David understood these when he confronted the champion of the Philistines and told Saul, “don’t be afraid for my life, I will handle this uncircumcised philistine” that is believe, that is confidence in the invisible God of Israel. Others may doubt, but believe. Even when Saul the leader doubted and was in fear, David still believed and had confidence in God and he backed his confidence with the testimonies of the things God had done (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
“And David said to Saul: “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
And Saul said to David, thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
And David said unto Saul, thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.” 1 Samuel 17:32-34
It was with that confidence in His God that he confronted Goliath and defeated him.
“Then said David to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45- 47).
David had made up his mind to win, so, he cared less about what Goliath said or was saying and neither did he allow the fear that had nearly killed Israel and her king nor their moody faces affect him, he was confident in God. David later wrote: “…by thee have I run through a troop…” (2 Samuel 22:30a).
It is your turn. The bold man, the confident man is as a lion that does not turn back in the face of challenges. “A lion, which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any,” (Proverbs 30:30).
See how confident David is in God and let us follow his steps. (Psalms 18:1-50)
• Apostle Lawrence Achudume, Victory Life Bible Church Int’l, Km 9, Olabisi Onabanjo Way, Opp. OGTV, Ajebo, Abeokuta, Ogun State. P. O. Box 1537, Sapon, Abeokuta 110001, Ogun State, Nigeria, W/Africa. www.vl-bcinternational.org.
