Roller Coaster

Daily Reading: Daniel 3

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  (Daniel 3.17)

Devotional Thought: Are you a fan of roller coasters? Those climbs that are nearly straight up; the drops that are nearly straight down; the sharp curves; the twists and turns that flip you upside down? 

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were on a rollercoaster ride.  These young men were taken from their homes in Jerusalem and uprooted to Babylon.  Big drop!  Singled out as special, quick, unblemished, qualified, they were offered places at the king’s table and entered the service of Nebuchadnezzar.  Going up!  Their fortunes turned once again, however, when they were grouped in with the magicians, enchanters and astrologers.  The king ordered all such men to be executed.  That's a serious drop!

Personally – I am so prone to motion sickness that I can’t even watch a rollercoaster without getting sick.  But the worst thing about motion sickness is that it afflicts me in my boat!  I love being on the water, but the movement doesn’t love me.  There is one "trick," however, that really helps me: fixing my eyes on one stationary point on the horizon.

That's what these four Hebrews did in all their ups and downs: They kept their eyes fixed on the stationary, unmoving point – the God whom they knew was true.  They didn’t defile themselves with the food from the king’s table and they didn’t bow down before the golden idol – despite the rage of the king.

Fixing their eyes worked for them and it works for us.  We all live lives with ups and downs, twists and turns.  But, when we keep our eyes fixed on the one true God, we will end up on top!

Allen Montero

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you are the fixed point on the horizon of my life.  In all the ups and downs and twists and turns of life you remain constant.  I have set my gaze upon you, O Lord.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 66.16-20

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. 

18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!