Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Light so I can walk in the Light today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let Him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up'" (Daniel 3:13-18).
Those were perilous times for those who refused to worship the god of the culture of the day. They had to make a choice. They had to take a stand. And they chose to take their stand against all the power and pressure that came against them in furious rage, intent on forcing them to turn away from their God and bow down to worship the false god being exalted in their land like everybody else.
Their choice of conscience, their "vote" to whom they would devote their trust, could cost them so much more than their respectability and reputation in their culture. Their "stand" on the positions of righteousness could cost them their very lives in the fire of the furnace or their very souls in the face of heaven. But in courage and faith, they chose what was right. They chose to face the fire and the fury of those who sought to silence their voice and defile their God and force them to forsake their faith, no matter the cost.
"Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire" (Daniel 3:19-21).
But then their perilous times became deeply precious times. You drew near to them in the intimacy of Your Presence. You stood with them in the mist of the fire and in the face of their tormentors.
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, '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.' Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.' Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them" (Daniel 3:24-27).
We as well live in a perilous time where we are challenged, confronted, pressured to remain silent, and discouraged from sharing our faith and abandoning our beliefs. These attacks and confrontations our coming from family, friends, co-workers, classmates, public opinion, social media, government policy and others in power and position. Lord, let these perilous times become our most precious times. Give us courage and faith to stand firm for You and for what is right. By the power of Your grace, may we refuse to bow down to the false gods of our culture, even in the face of all the power and pressure coming against us to shut up and back down.
No matter the cost, may we choose You. May we choose to stand firm, to speak out, to pray and to vote, for what is right. You'll be with us through whatever fire and fury we face. And may our courage and faith even become a powerful witness to our tormentors, that even they may come to acknowledge the Most High God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be filled with courage and faith to stand firm in the face of whatever fury and fire you face, as a faithful servant of the Most High God, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
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