“[Charles F. Stanley] frequently repeated his life motto, which he learned from his grandfather: Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
In the Bible, there are recorded many who did just that – they obeyed God and left the consequences to Him. One account that comes to mind is that of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
These three men refused to “fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up…” Anyone who refused would “be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
When brought before the king, they “said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
19Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
As a result of the faithfulness and obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God, they were preserved through the trial and subsequently blessed.
Another example is
Naboth (1 Kings Chapter 21)
Naboth, the Jezreelite, had a vineyard which was next to the King’s palace. The king coveted it. He told Naboth that he would give him a better vineyard or money, based on its value. “And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.” (verse 3) So King Ahab became discouraged and went home, laid in his bed and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel asked him why he was so sad. He explained to her why. So she plotted to have Naboth killed – “…she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. (verse 8-10)
And that is exactly what happened. Naboth was taken out of the city and they stoned him with stones that he died.
So Jezebel told King Ahab that Naboth was dead and the King then took possession of the vineyard.
Summation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told King Nebuchadnezzar that God was able to deliver them, but if he chose not to, they would not serve Nebuchadnezzar’s gods or worship other images. They were then cast into a fiery furnace; it was so hot that the men who bound and cast them into the fiery furnace died. But, the three of them came forth out of the fiery furnace, “upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” Because of the faithfulness and obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God preserved them through the trial and they were subsequently blessed.
Naboth chose not to give to King Ahab the land he inherited from his fathers. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, saw to it that Naboth was stoned and died. God allowed Naboth to suffer and die, but God pronounced judgement upon King Ahab’s house for the evil he did.
There are also others we could look at, such as Daniel, Stephen, Peter, Paul, the apostle, and many more.
But, in this writing, we considered just two – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and that of Naboth.
Of course, the greatest example of all is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. He lived a life in complete submission and obedience to the Father, and we know what happened to Him. May we “follow his steps.”
We remember the words of Job – “Though [God] slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” (Job 13:15)
…and also the words of Peter and the apostles – “…we ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
May each of us be faithful and obedient in our walk with God, leaving all the consequences to Him.
- A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal. - Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle. - And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him. - That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth;
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.