How to Survive the HEAT

“Look!” he answered. “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” – Daniel 3:25

HEAT is powerful! It burns, purifies, molds, refines and removes. Anyone living in Houston can attest to the overwhelming strength of heat. We can also learn a lot about HEAT from the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into the furnace.

King Nebuchadnezzer was so HEATED at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that he demanded they be thrown into the fire... Fueled by anger, the king had the furnace HEATED to such a degree that it INCINERATED the individuals who threw the boys into the furnace. After a short while, the King noticed the once bound boys walking around in the midst of the HEAT with a cool companion.

I encourage you to think about four quick things:

1.     Haters get heated, but they will only destroy themselves, and those they conspire with, if YOU stay cool.

2.     You may feel bound while in a hot place, but you can still call out for help.

3.     God is with you always, and He can use every heated situation for your benefit.

4.     God also uses heated situations for his glory.  God did more than perform a miracle for the boys. He also sent a message to the king and any onlooker about His power!

There is always a way to stay cool in hot times. 

The Paralysis of Analysis

The Price of Pushing forward 

The Paralysis of Analysis

Someone once said…”I made 6 resolutions last year and I kept them all Year long. They are in an envelope at my house.

A decision not to decide is still a decision. Frequently, the uncertain consequence of decisions is more intimidating and paralyzing than the decision itself. My Pastor likes to refer to the extended pause in pressing forward as the “paralysis of analysis”.

This pretty much sums up my decision making process. Some decisions are so difficult for me that it is almost comical. I get bothered when a restaurant has too many choices. Don’t let them have pictures to coincide with the food. It makes me want to order half of the menu! Thank God for patient wait staff.

The Bible says:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Based on these two verses it can be ascertained that God is already prepared to graciously pour out wisdom when we ask for direction. The catch is that we must ask according to His desire for our lives and not our selfish intent. We can’t be halfway into something that we know isn’t right and simultaneously asking God to guide us on the same path. That is just seeking justification for bad judgment.

Godly wisdom is the understanding of what pleases God; because God is the source of wisdom, He unselfishly doles it out when we ask with a pure heart.

Recently, a very popular basketball player was faced with a difficult decision. Pride, pay, popularity, and promise were sizeable factors in his impending decision. His current team and teammates had their influence. His past team and performance had their influence also. However, when asked how Dwight Howard chose to play his next season with the Houston Rockets, he removed every influence but one. Ironically, Dwight’s decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers took place on a day designated to celebrate freedom and independence from the past.

“It was on the Fourth of July,” said Howard. “That’s when I felt it was Houston. I was in Colorado. It seemed like every person that I met was from Houston. It was just so ironic. I’d walk around. Someone would ask for a picture. They’d give me a business card and it would say Houston on it. I was like, ‘Is everybody in Colorado from Houston right now?’ It was unbelievable.

“I was like, ‘You know what, this has to be from God.’ You pray for things to happen. You pray for signs, for God to show you things. It just seemed like, this was it.”

Howard is supposedly taking a 3 million dollar pay cut to play with the Rockets.

Howard continued, “I chose to go to Houston. I wasn’t traded. I was just like I had an opportunity to do something for myself and it wasn’t anybody’s else’s choice. It wasn’t a friend or fans or based off anybody but myself. In Orlando, I wanted to do everything for everybody else and I wasn’t happy inside with what I did. I just wanted to see everybody else happy. This time, I wanted to make myself happy and get back to being who I am, being Dwight, having fun and being happy.”

When you accept Jesus into your life, The Holy Spirit moves in and plants stakes. You have all that you need, living inside of you, to make the right choice. Every choice you make is worthy of God’s opinion. God will grant you wisdom and He will also give you confirmation. Three million is three million despite your level of wealth nevertheless PEACE IS PRICELESS!