Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well and good; but if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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 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 which you have set up.”
Daniel 3:15-18
This past Sunday, I offered a sermon on Faith and Suffering. As part of the sermon, a young person in my parish who has cancer gave a testimonial about her faith in the midst of suffering and uncertainty. It is very compelling. Her testimonial begins about 12 minutes into the video. Please take a few minutes and watch this. And please share this story with anyone you know who is suffering from illness or any other kind of challenge. Here is the link:
Lord our God, Healer and Physician of our souls and bodies, extend your hand from heaven and place it upon everyone who is sick and suffering, everyone who is facing uncertainty in challenge, and bring healing and restoration to health as it pleases You. Keep them and those who care for them in faith. Through the intercessions of the Holy Theotokos, of St. Luke, the blessed physician and of all Your saints. For You are our sanctification and to You we give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
We are called to believe, no matter what the outcome! That is faith!
