Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do
not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s
hand. But even if He does not, we want you
to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of
gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18, NIV)
Although
I had read the book of Daniel many times
before, this time it was different. As I read chapter 3, these verses began to
awaken something in me. Reading it caused me to ask myself the hard
questions. It opened my eyes to a new
perspective. These scriptures scream out one word to me, loyalty. What God is showing us in this passage is the kind of loyalty
He desires from His people.
While
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego were set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, they were still
in captivity along with the other Hebrews. They were held captive but still
serving God. They were facing a life or death situation, but refused to worship
any another god. These young men didn’t have a King James Bible to read or
church services to attend. Nevertheless, they served God whole-heartedly. They
were willing to face death in order to maintain their integrity. They were
willing even if God didn’t deliver them from the fiery furnace. What God was
saying to me was, “Yes I have made many
promises to you that I plan to keep. But, if I never deliver you will you still
serve me? If I decide to change my mind, will you worship me? If I never do
anything else for you, will you still love me?” We get so excited and “Jesus
Happy” when things go our way and when life is comfortable. But what about when
life is unfair and when God doesn’t appear
to be blessing you? Will you still hold on to your integrity, worship, and
serve God only? Or will you go back into the world and put worldly matters ahead
of God?