Message from Dunkirk

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace . . . 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." Daniel 3:17-18

In late May of 1940, during World War II, the German army had overrun the tiny European nation of Belgium. As Hitler's tanks and troops marched across Belgium, they pushed the defenders - Great Britain, France, and Belgium were cornered at the seaport in northern France called Dunkirk. It looked as though all 338,000 of them would be wiped out by Hitler's approaching armies.

Back in Britain, as the British people waited anxiously, a simple three world message was transmitted from the doomed armies at Dunkirk: "But if not."

Suddenly, the island nation of Great Britain sprang into action. Every battleship, gunboat, fishing boat, motorboat, yacht - even rowboats! - journeyed across the English Channel to help rescue those troops from Dunkirk and return them all safely to Britain.

What was it about the three-word message? How could three short words - only eight letters - start all that?

The Miracle of Dunkirk happened because the British people recognized a phrase from the Bible. They recognized the phrase from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who trusted in God, even when the king threatened to throw them into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship an idol, And the British people knew that their troops were saying, "We will not give up, even if we die."

You may never be thrown into a fiery furnace. You probably will never be backed into a corner by thousands of tanks and troops. But there will be many times in your life when you'll have to choose between doing the right thing and giving in to sin. You'll face times when doing the right thing will be hard or embarrassing.

At such times remember that doing right is still right even when it's hard or wen there seems to be no immediate reward. Doing right is still right even if it might be embarrassing or yet you into trouble. God can deliver you, and He may even reward you for doing right - but if not, it's still right to do right.

By Josh McDowell, taken from "Youth Devotions"

Bible Reading Guide:

Beginning to End: Luke 12-13
Old and New Testaments Together: Jer. 18-19 & 2 Tim. 3
Historical: Matthew 13-14
Chronological: John 11
Blended: 2 Samuel 12-13 & I John 3

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible