Daily Devotionals

Would You Rather? Week 5 Friday

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18

“I understand that this does not make sense, but please trust me.” Has anyone said this to you before? Whenever someone says this to me, I immediately get nervous about what they are going to say. When this happens, I have to decide if I am going to trust them. When deciding if I am going to trust them, I immediately think about their character. Have they proven themselves trustworthy? Are they faithful? My response to that person is contingent on whether or not I can trust them. If they are faithful, then I will probably trust them, even when things do not make sense. The most trustworthy, faithful one in our lives is Christ. Because He is supremely faithful. We can trust Him, even when things do not make sense.  

 Daniel 3 tells us about three men who were called to remain faithful to God in a very confusing, even dangerous time: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. During their lifetime, the king of Babylon made a decree that anyone who did not bow down to and worship a statue that he had created would be thrown into a furnace and killed. This was a dangerous command to these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because they worshiped God, the one true God. When word got out that they would not bow down to the statue, they could have walked away from their faithfulness to God, but they did not. They remained faithful, saying, “If we are thrown into the furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us” (Daniel 3:17). Their speech to the king did not end there, however. They continued, saying, “But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (verse 17). Can you imagine their courage? What faithfulness they demonstrated to God! 

After Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship this statue, they were thrown into the furnace. It was so hot that the men who threw them into the furnace died. During this confusing, scary time, God took care of them. He saved them from the furnace by not letting them be affected at all by the flames. In fact, Daniel 3:25 says that they were all “unharmed.” Now, it may be easy to look at this story from Daniel 3 and see a happy conclusion; all three men lived and were unfazed by the trial they faced. Their earthly rescue was not the ultimate goal, however. Look at verse 18 again. The verse begins with three words, “But even if…” Even if God did not rescue them, they would not lose faith. Why? They knew that their ultimate goal was heaven and eternity. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego demonstrated courageous faith even when life was confusing and did not make sense. You and I are called to demonstrate that faith, too. Is there an area of your life that does not make sense? Where are you having a hard time trusting God and remaining faithful? I urge you to hold onto your faith. Do not give up! He will walk with you through each and every fire you face.

Moving Toward Action

Go on a walk to reflect and spend some time with God. Is there an area of your life that does not make sense? Is there an area where you are tempted to give up? God is faithful, and you can trust Him when life does not make sense. Take time as you walk to pray. Think about the ways He has proved His trustworthiness and faithfulness in the past, and ask Him to help you trust Him for the future.

Going Deeper

Read Daniel 3:1-30 (NLT)

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.

But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.