Devotionals

No Other Choice

by Susan Barnes 
10/01/17
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"But even if he [God] does not [save us], we want you to know O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". Daniel 3:18

So often today people rely on having other choices. If our marriage doesn't work out, we can always get a divorce. If our job doesn't work out, we can quit and seek government assistance. In this verse, we see that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had no plan B. If God didn't come through for them, they had no other options.

Elisha was the same. He killed the oxen and burnt the plowing equipment (1 Kings 19:21). Elisha totally committed to his calling. He had no plan B and didn’t hold onto something that he could go back to if following God became too difficult.

When some stopped following Jesus, he asked his disciples if they too wanted to leave. Peter replied "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). At this point Peter recognized that God was his only option. He decided to preserve, even though he didn’t always understand Jesus’ teaching, he knew that nothing else was really going to satisfy. 

Paul challenges us to grow up into “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” so we will not be diverted from wholeheartedly following Christ by the temptation of more palatable teaching (Ephesians 4:11-16). When we established in our minds and hearts that we will trust God no matter what comes, good times or bad, we can put away our plan B's and become fully devoted followers of Christ.