Mar
12
2019
The Fourth One
Posted in Faith 4 Comments
My daughter-in-love and I spent the day together.
We had a few things things planned.
Lunch was shared at a place we both enjoy.
After lunch, we went to a store that she had never been to before.
There are so many things to look at in this store.
Country signs, tinware, arts and crafts, and picture frames among other things.
She was thrilled with all the selections.
We enjoyed walking up and down the aisles.
My daughter-in-love is carrying our second grandbaby.
She is due next month.
She looks wonderful.
She is tiny, a full foot shorter than my son, her husband.
She has a sweet baby belly.
From the back, you cannot tell she is carrying a baby.
She is a nurse and is on her feet most days.
The standing and walking around keeps her active.
We ran into a few people that I knew.
It was wonderful to introduce her.
She is carrying our grandbaby, I told them as I lovingly touched her belly.
The people we met asked when the baby was due.
My son sent a text to the family early that morning.
An App, that I have on my phone as well, shows the size and weight of the baby.
The size of the baby is always depicted as a vegetable.
It is a wonderful frame of reference.
This is week thirty-three.
My grandbaby is as big as a bunch of celery.
I can picture holding celery in my hands.
It is very difficult to go food shopping, since I am always thinking of this little one.
Three of us were shopping this day.
Only two of us were visible to the eye.
One of us is on the other side, very much alive.
The baby is not visible yet, but he or she can be felt when kicking inevitably happens.
When I introduced my daughter-in-love, I introduced the baby as well.
Location does not determine person-hood.
Location does not affect the love and the protection we all feel for this precious baby.
The baby was as much with us today as if he or she was in the stroller.
At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. (Daniel 3:8-27)
There were three men thrown into the blazing furnace.
Three men who would not bow down to a king and refused to worship him.
Three men who would only bow to the Lord God.
Three men who knew their God would save them.
Three men whose faith was so strong that they said, Even if.
Even if he does not, we want you to know, that we will not serve your gods.
We will not worship the image of gold you have set up.
The three men who had faith that was that strong.
The King looked into the furnace and saw four men walking around.
They were unbound.
The king knew that the three men had been tied and thrown into the fire.
Jesus, Himself, was in the fire with them.
Jesus is with us.
He never leaves us or forsakes us.
He cannot be seen with our eyes but He is there.
It takes faith to believe.
My grandbaby was with us, though we cannot see him or her yet.
He or she is no less real.
He or she is no less alive.
He or she can hear us and responds to sounds.
We refuse to worship the spirit of the age that denies the person-hood of the unborn.
Even if society says we must agree to that outrageous claim, we will not.
There was actually four of us walking around as we spent the day together.
The fourth One is the Lord Jesus, who is with us always, even to the end of the age.
Beautiful (and personal for me) way to argue for the value of the pre-born, Gina!! Thank you
Ann,
As we both wait for this precious baby, we trust the Lord who is always with us.
What a comfort to know He is always there.
Gina
Love this Gina! Such encouraging words on how very precious ‘life’ is in or outside the womb. So very thankful for the Creator of life and how he made us in his image!
How fun to spend a day together with your daughter-in-love…your grand baby and Jesus too!
Rejoicing with you on the life of your second grand babe…he/she is so very precious in the sight of his/her Creator…and to all of his/her loved ones who adore him/her from day one!!
Can’t wait to hear WHO he/she is soon!!
~Carolyn~
Carolyn,
I was so struck by the reality of WHO was with us as we spent the day together. We were truly FOUR, not just the two of us! The reality was so sweet and so comforting to me.
Gina