The Wednesday Word 8.31.2022
Daniel 3:13-18 NLT
“13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought
in, 14 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? 15 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?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before
you. 17 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. 18 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.”
The kind of faith these three men possessed is an amazement to me. Couldn’t they just have crossed their fingers behind their backs and blended in with the crowd? If God really knows what is in our hearts, would it have been so bad to cheat just a little? Have you ever thought about how you would respond if you were in their sandals?
We don’t think a lot about religious persecution. After all, we are Methodists in 21st Century America. If we were in some other part of the world, it may very well be a different story. Or, if it were a different age, we could face adversity. How would we handle the life-or-death situation these men faced? It is my fervent prayer that I would be faithful in the face of death. After all, my Savior conquered death. The Fourth Man in the fire gives us the promise of deliverance (read on through verse 25). Sadly, I know that I am weak. I don’t know if I could walk into the fire. So what can I do about that?
By studying Scripture, I will come closer to knowing Almighty God. I will better learn to depend on him and trust in him in all situations. Then, I need to put what I’ve learned into practice. Maybe there is something in life that you have been hesitant to do for whatever reason, even though it is consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Fear and insecurity can cause us to stay where it is safe and familiar and further from the person God wants us to be. Take a baby step. Try one new thing that you believe might be pleasing to God. Find out for yourself how rewarding it can be. The steadfast faith of the three men in the fiery furnace changed the law of their captors and protected their people (read the rest of the chapter). What would growth in your faith look like to the people around you? How might you be an agent for change in the world by taking that first step?…something to pray about.
Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.
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