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“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

There was a new law in the land.  King Nebuchadnezzar had a statue made in the image of his dream. He was trying to defy what God had said about his rule ending.  Everyone was summoned to the dedication of this golden image.  They were commanded to fall down and worship the image when they heard the music being played.

It was considered treason to refuse to worship.

With thousands of people in the crowd, their failure to worship wasn’t visible to the King. They most likely were overlooked at first.  But then someone noticed and accused them of not obeying the new law.  No surprise there, the enemy of our souls is always making sure there’s someone to accuse those trying to uphold God’s word.

In Daniel 3 we read that the King threatened Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  If they didn’t worship when they heard the music, they would be thrown into the furnace.  These young men stood fearless.  Responding with confidence that the God they served was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace.  The King became enraged at their disobedience and turned up the heat seven times hotter.

They fell into the furnace fully clothed and bound.

The Septuagint says in Daniel 3:24 the King’s attention was caught when he heard the men singing praises.  The King looks and sees four men in the fire, loosed, walking around – not burned.

“The fourth is like a son of God.”

They offered no excuses. “Everybody else is doing it. We will lose our jobs/our standard of living.” They didn’t let fear grip them. They just acted in faith. Completely willing to defy man and give up their lives instead of risking defying God.

In doing so, they changed the heart of the King that day.

Everyday we’re faced with decisions -will we choose good or evil? Just because our culture tells us it is okay to do something – doesn’t mean that God’s Word says it’s ok. The enemy tries to grip us with fear that if we choose to go against the “popular” decision of our culture that we’ll be alienated.

We do not know if these young men knew Jesus was in the fire with them.  The King saw, but did they? Sometimes, we are aware of Jesus’ presence in our trials and sometimes we feel He’s far away/not listening/not seeing what’s happening.  We are reminded in Joshua 1:9 “Be fearless. You are never alone.” Regardless of what we feel He is always there with us.

“Father, we see the enemy trying to make believers bow down to the idols of this world.   Let us praise you in the fire. For you are with us. Help us to be fearless, and not compromise your unchanging Word.”

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes www.ephraimministries.org
TRBC Women’s Life