Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego defied King Nebuchadnezzar’s order. They refused to bow to an idol that he insisted everyone bow to. They stood straight and tall and did not submit to a command to worship a false god. Oh. Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He had his men raise the heat in the furnace. And then he had these three faithful followers of God thrown into that unbearably hot fire. The heat killed the soldiers who threw them into the furnace, but soon Nebuchadnezzar saw not only those three but a fourth person walking around in the fiery pit. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survived the death sentence.
These three young men had made a decision that they would rather suffer than sin. They knew they must not do evil so that good would come to them. Oh. It might have seemed like a fine line they were crossing, but they knew that to bow with the knee even though their hearts weren’t bent was too big of an ask. So they refused. They wanted to stand before God with pure hearts and clear consciences.
Walking through the fire is not for sissies.
This wasn’t the first time they chose not to defile their bodies. Early on in their captivity, they were among an elite group of young men selected for a rigorous training program for royal servants. And they were given food and drink that would have defiled their Jewish diet. They refused and were granted a reprieve and given appropriate foods. Now here they were being asked to bow to another god. They weren’t being asked to give up their God. All they had to do was just bow their knee. Just for a second or two. They couldn’t do it. Imagine the searing guilt on their consciences if they had just bowed. It would have been a quick and easy thing to do. Just dip the knee and stay out of trouble. But they knew in their hearts it was wrong So they said no.
You can read the story of these 3 brave young men in Daniel 3.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord , your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2-3
If you’ve read the story of these three guys, you’ll notice that when they walked out of the fire they were inspected closely by those who had watched their fiery trial. There was no smoke damage. No singed hair. No ashes. No scorched clothes. In fact, they were still fully clothed. The fire had not damaged them at all. Because with the fourth person in the fire with them, not only were they surrounded by flames but they were surrounded by the presence of God. An angel of the Lord was in the midst of the fire with them.
Oh. The cords that were wrapped around these men were burned off. But the clothes on their backs didn’t even smell of smoke. Isn’t it odd that the things that were binding them were removed during the fire, and the items of clothing that protected their dignity weren’t touched by the flames? Or, is it odd? The God of the universe is much more powerful than we give him credit for. He allows what he allows, and he forbids what he forbids. Only he has full control. Oh. Mankind likes to manipulate events to their own advantage, but God is still in control.
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! Daniel 3:26-27
What do you look like when you walk out of the fire? Are your clothes scorched? Is your hair singed? Do you smell of smoke? Does a pile of ash drop to the floor? Do you appear as damaged goods for having suffered for Christ? Are you angry? Are you insulted? Or, do you praise God that he was walking with you every step of the way? Do you thank God for the lessons learned as you were engulfed in flames?
Once out of the fire, we must realize the power that God has over even the worst moments of our lives. When we suffer for Christ, he is with us in those moments of crisis. He does not leave us to walk alone.
When we step out of the fire, our witness is on display for the world to see. And what do others see? They may know we have just come from the fire, but they will be watching our witness of God’s goodness and grace. They will want to know if we walk our talk. Even King Nebuchadnezzar praised God when he saw the three men totally uninjured from the fire. When he commanded them to walk out of the furnace, he saw a miracle appear before him. And he praised the God of these three men. He knew he was an eyewitness to the great power of the God of the Universe, and he gave God all the praise and glory.
We never know who our example of faithfulness and obedience to God will influence. We don’t know who’s watching, but we better believe that someone is. And they will note our obedience or lack of it. And then some will be influenced to follow our lead, regardless of whether we’ve obeyed God or not. Let’s be faithful to the God who has orchestrated every second of our lives, even those that are a fiery furnace experience.
Mercy for the Day 