In Death as in Life

A famous quote reads, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” However, what if, each of our steps came with a fatal threat, a lethal sentence pronounced? What if our every step came with a demeaning glare, a blasphemous contempt, and a hand that could thrust a deadly “push” towards life’s end? Imagine the intensifying anxiety, the excruciating stress, the stigmatizing trauma—physical, mental, emotional—all caving into one’s senses, into one’s system. Yet there remains only one way to turn the quote into a reality—CONTINUE. It is through continuing nevertheless, and regardless the consequences that turns a simple journey into a lasting legacy. In the Bible, most, if not all journeys by God’s children were tainted by painful setbacks which characterized the very uniqueness and value of their walk with God. Specifically, it is the three young Hebrew men’s resilience amidst the “shadow of death,” that caused the “radiance of their lives” to be imprinted in the Sunday School lessons and in the sermons that were taught and preached throughout history. 

The onset of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s youth were very much different with our lives today. The attack of Babylon on their homeland was just the first few steps of their lifelong journey. It only set the backdrop of the many more fiery trials that await them. Arriving in Babylon, under the rule of the ruthless King Nebuchadnezzar, they did not only lose their freedom, they also lost their identity. Their names had to be changed into Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their training and education were also recalibrated to the perspectives of Babylon. Yet, they continued. The Bible does not show any record of even a single attempt from the three young men to retaliate. Contrary to that, these three Hebrew children, together with Daniel, managed to prove themselves to be exceptionally knowledgeable, skillful, and wise, as they continued to seek and ask the Lord for strength, guidance and wisdom, despite the unfavorable circumstances. They were able to create a Godly testimony that shone and stood out, to the point that the king realized that there was no one in the land like them. Their endurance, their unwavering faith in God gave them favor towards the king, and caused them to be promoted throughout the land. Indeed, the Lord enlarged their influence, because He saw in them a heart that thrives and lives to spread His cause throughout Babylon. 

However, just when things seemed to be smoothly going uphill, greater conflicts awaited the three Hebrew young men. King Nebuchadnezzar’s command to bow down and worship his golden image with a death sentence that awaits those who would disobey could have certainly served as the three Hebrew children’s ultimate “death threat” as their conviction and faith were put to a test—but was it really a “death” threat? Were their daily routines shortchanged just because of such a decree? Obviously, they continued worshiping God. They continued to walk by faith, despite the seeming ‘hell’ that anticipated them. When confronted by the king, they kept their integrity, they sustained their testimony. They continued, knowing that the God they serve will deliver them—both from the furnace, and from physical death itself. They continued because they were very aware of the Heavenly glory as their future destination. They continued because they were certain of to Whom their lives belong. They feared not fire, they feared not death, but rather continued, knowing that they had eternal life which death could not overcome. True enough, they were delivered by Christ Himself as He joined them in the furnace. The stings of flames touched not all of them, neither could the smell of smoke envelop them. What seemed to be a “dead” end became a gate towards the continuation of their Godly lives. 

Similarly, what may seem to be a “game over” in our life’s circumstances could be God’s moment of breakthroughs for us as His children. With the triumphant stories of the three Hebrew young men and others, scattered all over the Bible, we could see that when we allow God to spearhead every step of our journey, we can say that “it is far from over.” Therefore, we continue. May our testimony be as sustainably and consistently God-fearing and God-honoring as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s, that when their world was under attack, when their physical lives where under threat, and when their whole journey seemed to burn into ashes, their soft-spoken reply was, “it is well.” It is these ever-enduring and persevering faith that changed their journey into an eternal legacy. May this exemplar remind us of Horatio Spafford’s words in his hymn,

"For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for IN DEATH AS IN LIFE,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul."

(This essay won 1st place in this year's Talent Fest in Bible college. Its victory was more unexpected compared to last year's, since this was written at the very last minute, when our team needed an immediate output/submission after realizing that we have not yet submitted an entry. Written under the pressure of time, after a tiring full day at work, I sought guidance from the Lord as to where to draw strength and inspiration from. With the theme "CONTINUE," the Lord lead me to a synonymous term--SUSTAIN. He lead me to Himself and to His character of "sustaining what has been started" and that became the jumping board for this piece. 2018 has been thrived, merely and solely by His sustaining power and strength wrapped in His grace and mercy. With that I was reminded of the journey of these three Hebrew young men, and how the Lord sustained their steps despite the fiery darts thrown against them--God, nevertheless, was able to turn the flames into lights that brought Him honor and glory. Similarly, I thank Him for how He has been faithful in creating wonderful plot twists in my life this 2018. I am deeply awed, amazed, and humbled by "the grace He has extended, the mercy I have found." This piece indeed goes out to all believers whose faith has been rigidly tested this 2018--if you're reading this, know that God is able to deliver Thee.)