Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 6:19-20)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
You can trust God because He will always protect you.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and compassionate in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
He will also hear their cry and save them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.
Psalms 145:17-20
Today you will learn a very interesting story about protection.
Do you like watching superheroes in movies? Do you see them saving people? But the problem is, they can't be everywhere at once, right?
Because God can and always saves those who love him, even if it is very difficult, as you will now learn.
Get ready for the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace! What strange names! But what happened?
3 Friends in the Fire and an Amazing Ending!
Bible Reference: Daniel 3:1–30
There was a man named Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon. He did not like our God, but he believed that many gods made of clay, wood, gold, or other materials could do something for him. Look at this: he was deceived because he believed in gods that could not speak and had no real power… How sad!
One day, he ordered a huge golden image to be made and placed it in the middle of a field. Then he called together the powerful men of his kingdom and many others and gave an order:
—Men, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, you must bow down and worship this great golden image. Anyone who does not do this will be thrown into a very hot place full of fire called a furnace. It is like a giant oven where people can be thrown inside.
Most of the people who heard this agreed to obey the king’s command. But there were three young men who did not like idolatry and were faithful to God, so they decided to obey God first. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In that kingdom, there were some evil men who were jealous and wanted to harm these three friends, who were God-fearing men. So these men reported everything to King Nebuchadnezzar. When the king heard this, he became very angry. He called the three men and asked if what he had heard was true.
They answered:
—Yes, O king, it is true. We have decided not to worship that image because we only bow down and worship our God, the only true God. If our God, whom we serve, wants to deliver us from this fiery furnace, we believe that He will rescue us.
How did the king react? Even angrier than before! He was furious! So he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.
Then he commanded the strongest men in his army to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace—bound as they were! The fire was so hot that the soldiers who got close to the furnace door died just from the heat.
But something incredible happened! When the men of God were thrown into that blazing fire, they were not burned!
Have you ever imagined something like that? Even though they were thrown in tied up, they began walking freely in the middle of the fire. And there was another man with them. But wait—that was not just a man… He looked like an angel!
When the king saw that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were alive, he ordered them to come out of the furnace.
And do you know what was even more interesting? Not a single hair or piece of clothing was burned, and there was no smell of smoke!
All those men of Babylon, who thought themselves more important than others, truly knew what power was: only God is Almighty and can save us from any situation!
What did you learn from the story of the three friends in the oven?
Sometimes we go through difficult situations and it may seem that God has abandoned us, but that never happens.
Perhaps they even thought that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were fools for having embraced their faith in God and yet being condemned to die at the stake.
But God, who loved them and loves you very much, sees what lies ahead. He sees the future! He knew that the three friends would go through a trial, but that in the end they would be saved.
Therefore, you should never doubt the plans God has for your life, because they are always good!
It is TIME to PRAY
My God, I trust in you. Even if I go through a scary situation and don't know what to do, I will always trust in you, because I know you watch over me, you are always with me, and you save me! In Jesus' name, amen.
