How would I do, if I were suddenly ripped from my family as a teenager? What about as an adult?

Growing up in the late 70s and through the decade of the 80s, I remember the fear of Communist take over (however realistic that was I don’t know, I just watched a lot of A-Team sort of shows). What if I had been dragged away from my family and placed in an environment where God was relegated to the halls of mythology? How would I stand?

I’m preaching this Sunday in Daniel 3 and the challenge to myself and the people of NCC is to not allow ourselves a “flannel graph” look at the lives of the young men who were ripped from their homes, physically tortured and forcibly conformed to the ideals and culture of Babylon. This was real. All of it was a test of loyalty to Yahweh.

My friend and co-teacher of our Biblical counseling class, Mark Drinkard, puts it this way, “What if nothing changes?” What if the current situation you find yourself in, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually painful, never changes? Will you praise God? Will you live for Him? Are you willing to recognize God’s sovereignty and providence over every area of life?

How would I do if everything I knew changed into an uncomfortable state? Would I stay loyal to the One Who I know is in control?

(Scripture to consider: Job, Daniel 1-6, Romans 8:28-30, Mark 8:34-38)