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            Burning our bridge means that we have decided to never go back to the unbelieving ways of the past, and have made the choice to trust God in believing faith for everything in the future—health, healing, peace, provisions, protection, the avenging of wrongs, changing of attitudes, and for every other issue facing us today.

            Wanting to be a disciple of Jesus, a man said to Him Luke 9:61, ”’Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’  But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”  Trusting God in faith to do what He has promised in Scripture, must be an uncompromising decision on our part to cross over to God’s side—and not ever going back.

            To receive by faith, what God has promised in His Word, we must burn the bridge that leads back to the unbelieving and compromising ways of the world.  Satan’s many substitute plans, pills, policies, and methods for obtaining things in this life, will no longer be part of our thought process.  The bridge back to the faithless ways of the world no longer exists—we must have the victory by the divine power of the living God.

            A believer is not to experiment with God’s Truth.  Many try His plan to see if it works, but when things do not turn out as quickly as expected, they go back to the old non-faith method or try some other plan of the world.  This trying for a while plan, does not work with God’s divine plan of uncompromising faith and trust on Him.  We may experiment with many things in life, but we cannot experiment with our faith in God.

            If we have decided to trust God in faith concerning any situation, we must accept His plan as our only plan—burning every bridge back to the old plan we had followed.  When that uncompromising stand is taken in the Christian life, God’s divine power is ready to work in giving the victory He has promised.  If a plank is left on the bridge, the power of God is hindered, and our deliverance is delayed.

            We are to be joyful during trials, and to persevere in trusting God through any test, because any trial met right reinforces our stand of faith on God to deliver us.  The apostle said James 1:4 ”Let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing”—or no lack of faith and trust in God.

            If God’s will on any issue or decision is needed, we have instructions on how to obtain it.  James 1:5 ”If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally [generously] and without reproach [criticism or reprimand], and it will be given to him.”  When we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we can proceed in uncompromising faith on God until He gives the answer.

            Any plank on the bridge back to the former unbelieving ways of the world, allows Satan to fill our mind with doubt, discouragement, and disbelief.  When the bridge back to carnal ways is destroyed, and we have placed the request before God—without any thought of taking it out of His hands—all doubt from the devil will be gone, and a divine confidence will take its place.

            James 1:6-8 ”But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable [undecided] in all his ways.”  The only way to please God is to trust Him in unwavering faith.

            The quality of our faith is based on our commitment to God—are we going to trust Him in faith regardless of the risk or consequences?—is the question.  Hebrews 11:6 “Where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly [diligently; sincerely] try to find Him.”  God rewards us with the answer to prayer, when we have decided to trust Him in believing faith.

            To diligently seek God, is being determined to trust Him—without ever going back.  We are to believe and trust in faith until the victory or the deliverance is received.  If the answer is delayed; the healing not received; our peace still disturbed; or the victory not enjoyed, we can be sure that the plank on the bridge back to the old way of no faith, is still there.

            We should not expect to receive the answer to prayer; not expect the healing of our body; nor see our loved ones accepting God’s Truth, and not have the victory in anything else, until we have placed these requests in God’s hands to stay—finally and forever committed to have the answer God has promised by faith in Him alone.  The bridge back to the life of no faith and no trust on God for anything has been burned and destroyed—it no longer exists.

            Jesus said that if anyone wanted to trust Him, but Luke 14:26 ”does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”  God warned His people early on about not allowing idols, compromise, doubt, or unbelief to ever be considered—after they decided to trust Him.  It was a warning on being influenced by someone.  The bridge back to compromise must be burned.

            Deuteronomy 13:6-8 ”If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and worship [serve] other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield [consent] to him or listen to him.  Show him no pity.  Do not spare him or shield him.’”  It is an important issue with God, so it must be an important issue with us.

            Real-life Bible examples give volumes of truth on burning any bridge that leads back to the world.  The decision of the Three Hebrews on not bowing to an idol is the decision we must make today.  Satan has a multitude of substitutes on which to trust, but all of them lead us away from faith in God.

            When these men decided to take the attitude that they would trust God without ever going back on that decision, God’s power was able to protect and deliver them in a most miraculous way.  If they had just gone through the motions and pretended to worship, it would apparently have saved their lives, but bowing to an image is idolatry, a serious sin totally unacceptable to God.

            No matter what the risk, they decided to burn any bridge, and to go forward in trusting God alone.  The government order was issued, and everyone had to obey—no exemptions for anyone!  Everyone had to bow because Daniel 3:15 “if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.  Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”   When all the people heard the music, all the people bowed and worshiped—except three who stood on the Word and promise of God.

            Some Chaldeans told the king about the Hebrews disobeying the law.  Daniel 3:12 ”There are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king.  They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

            The king was furious and Daniel 3:13-15 “gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  So they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

            “Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the [music], and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good!  But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.  And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?’”

            These men had burned any bridge of compromise, and regardless of the consequences, they would trust God to the end.  They said Daniel 3:17-18, ”If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up.”  That answer proved there was no going back.

            19 ”Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.”  The command was so urgent and the flames so hot, the “mighty men” who threw them in were vaporized by the intense heat.

            An amazing thing happened, however, because these believers would not compromise their faith on God.  The king was astonished Daniel 3:24-25 ”’Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’  They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’  ‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’”  The power of God was so complete that even 27 ”The smell of fire was not on them.”

            Three believers give a present-day example of how important it is to burn the bridge, and be determined that we will go through trusting God in faith for everything—healing; financial needs; victory over addictions; change in attitudes; for protection from harm, and with every other issue.  When we stand firm on our decision to go through trusting God, the door to His blessings from heaven above will be opened.

            Jesus said Matthew 6:22 ”The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good [perfect], your whole body will be full of light.”  If we need spiritual light, God is waiting to give it.  2 Chronicles 16:9 ”For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

            Even that heathen king had to declare Daniel 3:29, ”There is no other God who can deliver like this.”