“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” - Daniel 3v17-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were truly amazing men with an astounding faith. When Nebuchadnezzar made a law requiring that everyone bow down and worship his statue they simply refused to do so. No big deal, no protest march, letters to the editor, they simply would not bow down.
Enraged, Nebuchadnezzar called them before him. He told them that they would be executed if they did not bow down. Their testimony is a challenge to us all. They knew God had the power to deliver them – “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…” Great! They knew God could deliver them. But their faith went even deeper – “But if not…we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image…”
These men knew that God was able to deliver them, but they did not presume that He would do so. Even if God did not do what they wanted, they still would not worship the image.
Their faith was not contingent on what God did or did not do. They knew that He would do best and that what He did would not change their views toward Him.
Do we have that kind of faith? Can we worship Him no matter what He chooses to do in what we see as difficult times?
May God give us the heart of these men, a heart that will not bow, no matter what happens in our lives.
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