Daniel Chapter 3

King Nebuchadnezzar set up a 90-foot-tall Gold statue to be worshiped by his subjects just after hearing the dream interpretation that he was the gold head on a statue doomed to collapse. Also, that God’s kingdom would reign forever. I can’t help but think that this is the king’s attempt to signify that his own kingdom should reign forever or that he is the ‘whole statue’. Either way, it begs the question, What kingdom are we trying to immortalize, our own or God’s? Idol worship isn’t always about a golden calf, but it is ALWAYS about desiring something more than God or letting something get in the way of or misrepresent God. When Christians replace God with a tangible item or icon of God it is the same result. No matter how pure our intentions were we are still ‘cheating’ on God. Our study this week revealed that our intentions are irrelevant when worshiping a sovereign God. The only thing that matters is an obedient heart. Obedient even to death? Well, yes. Jesus told his followers (us) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross [a]daily, and follow Me.” (Lk 9:23) Jesus literally commands us to put our human feelings, wants and desires to death daily in order to follow him. And Him has a lot more to do with faith than belief. The belief that there is a God is different from the faith it takes to trust him, and his plan completely in every aspect of life. Even trusting that if God would not rescue us from certain doom, he is still good and sovereign over all.