Is anything too hard for the Lord?

What a week this is going to be! Our Bible Lesson on God expands on the question, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"  We are being given absolute assurances that nothing is impossible to God. Nothing is too hard for our Father Mother who loves us.

The Lesson tells the story of Nebuchadnezzsar's foolish decree, all men must worship him alone, or be cast into a fiery furnace. Three Hebrew men, captives in Babylon when that nation attacked Jerusalem, do not obey this law. They had been given an education so they could serve the king and had been serving him so well that they had been 'set over the affairs of the province of Babylon'. This led to envy and hatred against them and the jealous officials run to the king to tattle tale that the men were not bowing down to the golden image or worshipping it. In a rage, Nebuchadnezzar orders them thrown into the furnace. But to his astonishment they are not instantly incinerated but move around in the flames unharmed. And they are not alone. There is a fourth figure with them, 'like the Son of God'. When he calls them forth they are completely unharmed, the only thing that burned were the ropes that had bound them. Their clothes are not burned, their bodies and hair unburned. Not even the smell of fire clung to them. Nothing is impossible to God.

This week, should you find yourself being persecuted because you refuse to bow down to some silly material, medical, financial, or any other kind of law, rejoice knowing that no matter what appears to be threatening you, you can come through that 'fiery furnace' unharmed, without even the smell of smoke lingering. Because God is with you, always, at all times and under all circumstances.

This summer I have been creating a small garden with the 'grands'. We stood back to gaze at our little patch of baby plants and the kiddos decided that what we needed to finish it off was, not one, but two scare crows. So they donated old clothing and we built one for each of them. The thing about a scare crow is that is may look threatening but it cannot actually do any harm. It is powerless to move or act. Treat your 'enemy' as a defeated and powerless scare crow. That's what the fiery furnace appeared to be for those Hebrew men. The raging storm of jealousy and deceitful actions could not engulf them. What Mrs. Eddy refers to as 'all that is selfish, wicked, dishonest, and impure'. God is good and the source of all good. There is no other power present or operating. No matter how real the furnace seems to be, no matter how hot the flames, no matter how threatening the scare crow.

Nothing is impossible to God. No spontaneous combustion for you. No smell of smoke to insist you had ever been in danger. Trust God and rejoice in His  power. Isn't that the best thought to start your week!