Why Our View Of God Matters Part 2

What is Courage for the Journey?

Welcome to Courage for the Journey with Julie Fillinger where real stories and honest conversations inspire the strength to take your next step.

Last week Eric and I started the Courage for the Journey Live series at our church, and
I reflected on the first session on my last podcast.
Why our view of God matters could not be contained in one week, and it continues this
week with attributes of our God who strengthens and our God who is able.
These are attributes of God that give us particular insight on this journey to learn how to
live courageously.
Eric and I discussed and disagreed and then came to some measure of agreement on
which attributes to include in this series, knowing God’s character will naturally arise in
our teaching as we go.
It would take at least 23 weeks to discuss a more thorough list, so we encouraged our
class to download the kindle app and purchase A.W. Tozer’s book, Knowledge of the
Holy: Understanding the Attributes and Nature of God, for 19 cents.
Tozer writes 23 fairly short chapters to his congregation in a way that is easy to
understand so they could embrace the beautiful Truths of who God is.
And here it is, re-published in 2025, for us to enhance our understanding of Why Our
View of God Matters. I plan to add this book to my list of reading for 2026. I haven’t
finished my reading list from 2025, but that’s okay. My goals in general tend to carry
over from year to year.

(Our God Strengthens)
The primary passages we used to teach more about the nature of God this week are
from Isaiah 40 from which we learn Our God Strengthens and Daniel 3 – Our God is
Able, with some Hebrews 11 thrown in for discussion.
Isaiah 40 complements what we learned about God last week from David in Psalm 139:
 He is the everlasting Creator
 His almighty power endures
 His knowledge and understanding are impossible to comprehend.

And yet, when you behold the greatness of God, you see everything else in life in its
proper perspective.

The context of Isaiah 40 is that the nation of Israel is returning from Babylonia to
Jerusalem. This is where they have been exiled for 70 years as judgment for continuous
gross idolatry.
Jerusalem is supposed to be heralding the good news that this return could only be
accomplished by the mighty arm of God.
But the people aren’t feeling it. The nation of Israel tells God that He isn’t seeing their
plight and the journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem is too long and too difficult and
God doesn’t even seem to care.
It’s as if they would rather be exiles than the sovereign nation God called them to be as
His chosen people.
Isaiah then moves on to tell them how God renews His people.
Isaiah 40:29-31 says:
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
  Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.
He gives power to the weak, not the kind of strength and energy of a young person that
eventually fades. This power renews and never fades. Every speed and every ability is
included in this promise.

But there is a condition. You must wait for the Lord.
What does it mean to “wait for the Lord?”
Does anyone like to wait?
We asked our class to list what they don’t like to wait for. They said the waiting room at
the doctor’s office, redlights, and the grocery line.

That person is apparently frugal because she doesn’t use a grocery delivery service. It
seems faster for her to just go and do it herself. Until she has to wait in line to pay.
I’m just kidding. She is a friend of mine and she knows I am not patient either.
It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit that God has been trying to teach me my whole life.
It seems like things we don’t yield to the control of the Holy Spirit just get more
magnified as we get older.
I am really hoping to have this figured out in the next couple of decades.
I can tell I am improving though.
I take my mother-in-law to all of her Dr’s appointments. She always brings her Kindle
and has taught me I can take a book with me on the kindle app on my phone
everywhere I go.
We plan to use the time in the waiting room to read. So, I get disappointed if she
finishes up before I’m ready. I’m thinking, “can you wait a minute until I get to the end of
the chapter?”

But that’s not the same as waiting on the Lord.
It seems easier to wait if it’s something I can plan for.
But when the Lord brings something unexpected and asks me to wait on Him, even
though I know a large part of my growth occurs in the waiting, it feels like a very long
time.
In Hebrews 11, the heroes of the faith were counted as such because they waited and
waited but never received what was promised this side of heaven.
By faith, these saints looked forward to a physical city whose designer and builder was
God.
They acknowledged they were strangers and exiles on this earth and were seeking their
Homeland.
They would have been given the opportunity to return to the land of promise on this
earth.
But because they desired a better heavenly Country, they waved and greeted the
temporal promised land from afar. They found they didn’t need it.
God had made ready a better City for them.
They desired it and Him over anything this earth had to offer.

This enabled them to wait with endurance as they looked forward to the realization of
Going Home.
Learning to wait is one of the hardest but most important aspects of Christian life. It
develops absolute dependence on God and ensures actions are taken in His timing.
This kind of waiting is characterized by persistent expectation, like a watchman waiting
for morning, and involves hoping in God’s Word and trusting He will come through as
He promised.
Why is it good to wait for the Lord?
He is with us every moment and working for our good because He loves us. We can be
strong and let our heart take courage even as we realize this is hard. Then keep on
seeking and keep on waiting for the Lord who will hear us. (Lam. 3:25-26, Psa. 27:14,
Prov. 3:5-6, Mic. 7:7)
Do you remember Paul’s take on waiting for the Lord from 2 Corinthians 12?
Three times He asked God to take away something that was inflicting him and grieving
him. We don’t know exactly what he was enduring, but Paul endured beatings, snake
bites, and shipwrecks -so it appears to be something of significance.
He concluded that God’s grace was sufficient as God’s power was perfected in Paul’s
weakness. Paul could boast of his affliction because that’s when the power of Christ
rested on him.
He also reminds us in his letter to the church at Phillipi that he could do all things
through Christ who strengthens him. (Phil. 4:13)

(Our God is Able)
So, do you ever doubt the power of God?
Maybe you’re like me and you start thinking, “if God is so powerful, why doesn’t He use
that power to heal my loved one or protect them from harm?”
I don’t struggle with how powerful God is. I am fully aware of His almighty power. I
struggle when He doesn’t use that power to do what I want Him to.

I am going to get serious with you for just a minute.
When we cried out and asked God to save Nicholas, we knew He had the power to do
it, so why didn’t He?
Since He has this awesome power, what is He going to use it for if not to do something
that seemed so obvious to us?
But it’s not just us. We aren’t the only ones enduring trials. There is enough suffering in
the world to go around.
And honestly, we what have suffered is mild in comparison to what others have
endured. And what our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer persecution around the
world endure.
Suffering is not new. The fall of man opened the door for the evil genius prince satan to
wreak havoc on Christians.
Here’s what Hebrews 11 has to say about those heroes of faith. Brace yourself because
it’s kind of graphic.
Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a
better life.  36  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and
imprisonment.  37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, [a]  they were killed with
the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted,
mistreated—  38  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts
and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:35b-38

These verses immediately follow those who victoriously conquered kingdoms, stopped
the mouths of lions, and escaped the edge of the sword.
As if their faith is what made them heroic, not the outcome.
Nicholas means victorious, but he had a short earthly life.
We have struggled with anger about why that happened when we know God could have
done something about it.
But we could not stay angry when we considered God wasn’t asking us to do anything
He hadn’t done Himself. He gave His Son to die a horrible death so our son could have
an eternal life.
Then He victoriously conquered death with His resurrection, securing a future
resurrection for all believers.
So, we can wait a little longer until we meet again and then for all eternity.

The days can seem long. We need encouragement along the way as other annoying
trials come up.
When they do, I’m tempted to think, Lord, why is this happening? Don’t You think I have
endured enough suffering to last a lifetime?
Eric is asking similar questions, just maybe not out loud or so brazenly.
Do you want to know how God answers us? He gently leans in and His Spirit whispers,
“I will meet you in the fire.”

This is what we learn from Daniel 3
God meets us in the fire.
The historical context of Daniel 3 comes before what was recorded in Isaiah 40. At this
point in the story, Babylon has just conquered Judah.
As stated before, God uses this to judge his people for the purpose of getting them to
see their sin of idolatry.
God planned all along to return them to the land of promise, but they have to re-learn
dependence on the Him first. And they are going to learn that by being in exile.
But not before the King of Judah thinks he can rebel against the King Nebuchadnezzar
of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar is one the most arrogant characters you will find in the bible. He
doesn’t take kindly to rebellion. So, he takes away the nobles and the best and brightest
of Judah to serve him in his palace.
Four men stood out. These are strong, handsome, intelligent young men who had a
bright future ahead them. And they proclaimed Yahweh is the only true God.
We remember Daniel, but the other three we remember by their pagan Babylonian
names.
Once captured, they were indoctrinated in the ways of the world of Babylon. Their
names were changed in an attempt to change their identity.
Hananiah which means Yahweh has been gracious was changed to Shadrach which
means command of Aku, a Babylonian god.
Mishael – who is like the Lord is changed to Meshach – who is like Aku

Azariah – the Lord is my helper is changed to Abed-nego -servant of Nego, the
vegetation god.
Daniel means Yahweh God is my judge and his name was changed to Belteshazzar -
Bel protect the king. Meaning the pagan god Bel would protect the king of Babylon.
These name changes were intended to be degrading and insulting, but these godly
young men did not forget who they really served.

Meanwhile King Neb sets up this giant 90-foot statue of himself and commands
everyone to bow down and worship. And if they don’t, they will be thrown in the fiery
furnace.
Three men don’t bow to the image. They quietly disobey the command, choosing to
obey God rather than men.
I don’t know where Daniel was. Based on what we know about him, we can assume he
wouldn’t bow down either.
They have remained faithful to God. He had a purpose in making them successful
beyond expectation and they have been appointed over the affairs of Babylon.
The Babylonian fortune tellers hate them and maliciously accuse them before King Neb
saying, “those Jews you appointed don’t pay any attention to you. They do not serve
your gods or worship the golden image you set up. So, what are you gonna do about
it?”
Egomaniacs are easily enraged. Nebuchadnezzar furiously commands these three to
come before him. He questions if these accusations are true and gives them another
chance. But then says, “if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a
burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Ole Nebbie had no idea this was the exact wrong thing to say. Those words only
encouraged them to stand with a rod of steel in their backbone.
They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be
so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He
will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will
not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up.”

Nebbie is filled with fury. He orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than
usual. It’s so overheated, his mighty men were killed by the flames as they took up
these three to throw them in. And the three fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
In just a short time, Nebbie says, “wait a second, didn’t we throw in three men?” His
counselors agree this is true. “Then why do I see four men unbound walking around in
the midst of the fire? They are not even hurt and the fourth has the appearance like a
son of the gods.”
Nebbie came near to the door and declares, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
servants of the Most High God, come on out of there!”
Remember what their Babylonian names mean? It’s as if he is declaring their gods are
nothing compared to the Most High God.
We know that’s true, but for a pagan king to declare is something else.
When they come out, not a hair on their heads was singed, their cloaks were not
harmed, and there was not even the smell of smoke on them.
I’m not saying Ole King Neb became a Christian that day.
But he did humble himself just enough to say,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel
and delivered His servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and
yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
For there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”
Neb also characteristically adds that anyone who speaks against their God will be torn
limb from limb. But alas, he’s a work in progress.

We hear more about Daniel’s time in Babylon and how he courageously continued to
serve God, but these three brave men are never heard of again.
What we do learn from them is timeless.
Who do you worship?
We were made to worship. Our chief end is to bring glory to God and worship Him in all
that we say and do forever. Anything other than that is idolatry. Period.
It may not be a 90 foot statue, but it could easily become science, status, or
accomplishment. This is misplaced worship and it will not satisfy.

When the hard times come, they will scream in your face just like Nebuchadnezzar,
“who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
The only right response is to be like these brave young men.
Even if you are quaking in your boots, take a stand, and say, “My God whom I serve is
able to deliver me, but even if He doesn’t, let it be known, I will not serve any other god.”

Just because God is able doesn’t mean He will.
Sometimes the being in the fire is learning to live with the outcome that we did not want.
Like these three, we don’t presume to know God’s will.
But we do know God is faithful and true to His character. He has never not been faithful
on this Journey.
Like me, He will meet you in this fire. Not in the threat of fire, but in the fire.
And along the way He will give you the courage to keep on keepin on just a little bit
longer.
Why do we go through difficult circumstances? So we can meet Jesus!