All The Kings Horses. . . . .

Do you remember this line from the children's story:  'All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again'?

It's a silly story about an Egg.  Not much depth there really!  But it is still a profound statement about our inability to put back together someone that is broken.  Horses, and kings are powerful and have within them the strength to move mountains and men, and yet all their power is frustrated when it comes to mending a person who is shattered.

That requires power that is simply beyond us.

If you want to see power that really makes a difference take a look at Daniel 3:16-17.  Three young men who were at the mercy of a king.  They were facing their death sentence for not worshiping this king and they were unafraid to tell him, straight-up to his face, that they would not do so because they served the true King.

Standing there, with their immanent death blazing directly behind them, they proclaimed a faith that boggles my mind.  They said: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Can you just picture this?  This really happened!  And they really said this!  What a statement of faith:  that they believed that God is more powerful, more relevant to this situation than the king and his men and the furnace that was right behind them.  The God they couldn't see had gained more trust than all that they were seeing around them.  And trust they did.

What did their faith get them?  Thrown into the fire--a seemingly cruel reward for their valiant stand.  But, against all rational odds, the story doesn't end there.  Jesus came and saved them and restored them to health and life right before the king's eyes.  No wonder it says that this king 'leaped to his feet in amazement"!

The king had the power to destroy three lives, but as powerful as he was, he didn't have the power to save them.  That took another King--the One that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had already put their trust in.

Isn't that just the way our world works?  It seems that there is all kinds of power to destroy things--we can even destroy ourselves if we choose, but to find someone who can put us back together again?  Well, there is only One that I have found so far.

If all the king's horses and all the king's men can't fix someone who is broken, then maybe it's time to place our trust in the Unseen God who likes to hang out with those who find themselves in blazing furnaces.

Any takers?

BT