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BBD 10.10.13 In the Chimney (Classic)

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional

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Classic from 2006

 

 

10.10.13

 

 

In the Chimney

 

 

So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s
son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with
ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the
mire. - Jeremiah 38:6.

 

 

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed.
"And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone
who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who
revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is
the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. - 1 Peter
3:13-17.

 

 

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Of course, we
would never of our own free will, let ourselves down into a dungeon filled with
mud like Jeremiah's enemies did. However, I have read countless stories of
people trying to obtain access to houses by going down a chimney. It has
happened again in Brawley, California. Matthew Allen, who is 27-years-old, did
have an original reason for having gone down the chimney. His reason? He
fell into the chimney while he was on the roof of the house looking at the
stars. As always happens, Matthew became stuck. He finally took off some
clothes and waved them around until motion detectors were set off.
Fire Captain Manuel Sevilla had this to
say,
"I've read and heard of things like that
before but I've never seen it. The situation, it was more funny than
anything."
They rescued Matthew by
using a chain ladder they let down into the chimney.

 

 

The apostle Peter makes it clear that for Christians it
is always better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is
wrong. In making that clear, Peter is also giving us a warning that sometimes
bad things happen including suffering, to the children of God. In the Old
Testament, Jeremiah suffers for his faithfulness in proclaiming the prophecy
that God had given him to proclaim. The king and the officials of the kingdom
did not like the message so they tried to shut Jeremiah up. Out of sight and
hopefully out of mind, down in the mire of the dungeon. But God always knows
where His servants are at. The king relented when he was confronted with the
condition of the prophet by Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian. Thirty men were sent
with Ebed-Melech to pull Jeremiah out of the mire. After that, the king sent
for Jeremiah and this time asked to listen to the whole truth of the prophecy
of God. Jeremiah suffered but through that suffering, the king came to have a
desire to hear what God had to say to him.

 

 

No, there will
not always be a rescue party that arrives just in time to pull us out of the
dungeon or the chimney. In the roll call of the heroes of the faith in
Hebrews 11, we are told of many who were not rescued, "Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might
obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and
scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were
sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins
and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not
worthy (Hebrews 11:35-37)."

 

 

What do you do if you have fallen into the chimney and it
was because of those who meant evil toward you and toward your God?
You remain faithful. You pray for the rescue party to
come. You pray for the rope to be let down for you to climb up. You pray for
God's will to be done. However, you must have the attitude of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego who told the king just before being thrown into the
fiery furnace,
"If that is the case, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver
us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king,
that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you
have set up (Daniel 3:17-18)."
"But if not" - they planned to remain faithful and we must too.

 

 

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Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
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