Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Campus Pastor LHBC
Daniel 3:13-18
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.[c] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
One of the most infamous stories in all the Old Testament is the story of three Hebrew boys who chose to stand when no one else would. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were teenagers in a foreign land, far from home who decided they were going to stand for the Lord and not bow down to worship idols. Their testimony spoke volumes and made a major impact for God’s kingdom.
In the region of Babylon at the time King Nebuchadnezzar built a statue dedicated to himself for everyone to bow down and worship. If one chose not to bow down they would be thrown in the fiery furnace to burn. Everyone got the memo about bowing except three boys. They chose not to bow because their hope was not in a statue but in the Savior. Though culture was urging them to renounce the God of Israel and worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, they chose not to bow even if it cost them their life.
Though many of us may not be facing death threats for worshipping idols, there still is great temptation to bow down and worship. The world around us screams that we ought to bow down to the god of success, power, fame, sex, all the while renouncing our allegiance to the Lord God Almighty. As a matter of fact choosing to live for the Lord in this day and age may bring about insults and chiding amongst family members and peers. Let me encourage you though to continue to remain faithful to stand. Why? Because we have “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” as Psalm 34:8 says. We have experienced His goodness and have testimony of His greatness and all the great things He has done in our life as Psalm 66:5 says. The idols of this world do not compare to the greatness of our God.
The three Hebrew boys chose to stand because they loved the Lord and were not going to make the choice to sell Him out. They counted the cost and were thrown into the fiery furnace… However there was Another in the fire with them (AMEN!), and they came out without any skin or clothing burned. God was faithful to deliver them out of the fire. Hey friend–that is our God. He is greater than any statue or situation. He is greater than any carved image or circumstance. He is faithful and worthy of our worship. Today friend, I encourage you to choose to give Him your worship by choosing to be faithful to stand for Him, even if it does cost you because He is worth it!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord, You are good! Give me the strength and boldness to stand for You today. Even though it may cost me, help me to see that You are worth it Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Psalm 66:5- Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.