IN the current global financial crisis, my family and I may confront life-changing financial challenges. However, the passage quoted above reminds me that when we face circumstances that frighten us, we are never without hope.

This has always been true for God's people, even in the worst of times. Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, faced visible danger from the blazing furnace. Yet, staring directly into the flames, they were able to say, "The God we serve is able to save us." But even if their physical lives were not to be saved, they still placed their confidence in God.

Second Timothy 1:7 says, "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." We have these tools--power, love, and self-discipline--to use in any crisis. Furthermore, God will certainly use us in hard times to expand the kingdom, just as God uses the story of the furnace and three courageous Jews to inspire us today.

Frank L. Hearne (Florida, USA)

Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, be with us in times of crisis and every day. Use us to inspire others to trust you. Amen.

Prayer Focus
Those facing financial crisis