That God is my God

“When someone asks me about the God I serve, what should I tell them? Or do I even speak at all?”

Daniel 3:8-30

2 Kings 18:35

A humble king and three confident men decided to answer this question in two different ways…and God was able to deliver them in different ways! The Books of 2 Kings and Daniel both highlight a strong faith in God and His power. Both are asked the same question:

“Who are they among all the gods of the countries…. that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” (2 Kings 18:35, KJV)

“…Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” (Daniel 3:15, KJV)

I’ve highlighted two ways this question is answered: through humility, and through confidence. Both stem from the same thing—trusting in the Lord. We humble ourselves to God when we trust in His way and word for our life. And we are confident in God when we trust in His way and word for our life! And when we respond this way, God shows that He is a God who listens, responds, protects, has compassion, strength, and always delivers! That God is my God!

1& 2 Kings explain the reign of the kings of Israel and Judah. During the time of wars, Israel and Judah l were constantly being threatened on all sides. One of the most famous questions came from an opposing king called Sennacherib (we’ll call him Senn). King Senn sends a threatening message to the king of Judah, who was named Hezekiah. The threatening message includes badmouthing God and trying to intimidate the people of Judah into disowning their king. The climax of the message is found in 2 Kings 18:35, when King Senn asks his question. In other words, he is grouping the One True God (Jehovah) with all the other ‘gods’ that he had so easily defeated. But instead of replying with a scathing letter, or attacking blindly with a likely outnumbered army, King Hezekiah chooses humility.

In chapter 19, the King performs a mourning ritual (tearing of clothes, wearing sackcloth), and then gives a prayer of reverence to God before his request. In his prayer, Hezekiah recognizes God as sovereign, holy, and the reason for creation:

“O Lord God of Israel…thou art the God, even thou alone…thou hast made heaven and earth.” (2 Kings 19:15, KJV).

This prayer is followed by Hezekiah’s request for deliverance from King Senn. And because He is compassionate, God promises to save Judah, because of His promise to King David (2 Samuel 7:11-16, KJV). God sends an angel to destroy the enemies of Judah, and the people are saved.

            The Book of Daniel shows what the Israelites were going through during the captivity of Babylon (Daniel 1:1-21). The current King Nebuchadnezzar (we can call him Chad) had puffed himself up to a point where he believed that he was a god…one who was untouchable (see Daniel 4:28-37 to see how that turned out). King Chad built a 90 ft golden statue of himself, and ordered all the people of Babylon to worship it when they heard a certain song (Daniel 3:5-6, KJV). But three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego—did not worship the statue. When they are brought to the king, they are sentenced to being tossed into a fiery furnace. But instead of pleading for their lives or worshipping the statue…the three men chose confidence. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego explain to King Chad that they are completely confident in their God. They say:

            “…Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us…But if not…we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image…” (Daniel 3:17-18, KJV).

            With this prayer, the three men get thrown into the fiery furnace. But God protects them from burning, charring, or even smelling like smoke—He even sends His own angel, a “Son of God” down with them! (verse 25). Confidence in God saved the three men. When they showed unyielding loyalty to Him, He brought his promised salvation to them!

            So, the next time someone asks you about your God, or challenges you about who you worship, you can go to God and ask for Him to fix it. Or you can give a confident answer that is gentle but full of truth (1 Peter 3:15). Whatever you do, have faith that God is and will be with you through it all!

And when you answer, you can tell them that the “prayer listening, delivering, protecting, and compassionate God…that God is my God.

-Sherry Amor