Daniel Week 3 - Day 4

Week 3 - No smell of Smoke

Day 4 - The Heart of Loyalty

I simply love how a study can change your view of a simple word.  Today the homework was about loyalty and how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago did not have to stop to think about the options.  Their reponse to the king was immediate, no more questions needed to be asked - they would not bow down to the king.  Their loyalty was entirely to God.

Okay, I think we all get that they were loyal.  The common definition of loyal is to be faithful or a constant devotion.  But the homework went further and took us to 1Chronicles 29:17 where the word loyal is used.  The word in Hebrew means:
- to be firm, be established, be steadfast, be faithful, be sure, be reliable, be fixed, be certain

This definition fits what I thought of as the definition of loyalty - no surprises there.  The surprise came as the definition continued with...
- to be ready, be prepared, to be determined...signifies initial preparation ot formation, actual preparation for a future event.

Pretty cool!  Our loyalty to God is shown in many ways, but as we study His Word we are getting ready and being more and more prepared for Christ's return.  I love that - don't you?

The homework also asked a question that I wanted to also put here...
"Could any circumstance (such as an unhealed disease, unanswered prayer, loss of a loved one, an incarceration in a country where Christianty is illegal, or other situations) make you renounce your faith in Christ?   How do you answer this question?  My answer is NO!  I know that there is no situation and I also know that the more I study, the stronger that NO is.  I suppose it is because I am becoming more prepared and more loyal!!!