Day Twenty One: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego – Uncompromising Faith
Today’s Reading: Hebrews 11:34; Daniel 3:1-30
Introduction: As we come to the conclusion of our twenty-one days with faith’s heroes, we meet three extraordinary men caught up in extraordinary times. Like Daniel, these three men were carried off into captivity when the Babylonians conquered the kingdom of Judah. Like Daniel, the writer to the Hebrews didn’t mention their names, but we know exactly who they are when he says these heroes of the faith “quenched the power of fire” (11:34). Like Daniel, the Babylonians did everything they could to strip these men of their faith. They even changed their names in the hopes that they would not have anything that reminded them of their heritage but instead re-oriented them to accept the false gods of the Babylonians (Daniel 1:6-7). Like Daniel, these men were also put in a seemingly impossible situation. They could either worship Nebuchadnezzar or lose their lives. They chose to remain faithful to their God and refused to honor anyone else as God. As a result, they were to be thrown into a blazing furnace in which everyone expected them to die a gruesome, agonizing death. The response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was to declare their unwavering trust in God. They were even prepared to die rather than denounce God if He would choose that fate for them. In one of the greatest declarations of dedication to God found in the Bible, these three faithful men stood their ground (Daniel 3: 16-18). In response, the Lord Himself joined them in that fire and protected them from it. Nebuchadnezzar was so moved by what he witnessed that he declared, “There is no other god who is able to deliver in this way” (Daniel 3:29).
Application: Perhaps more than any of the other men and women of faith that we have met in these twenty-one days, we can best see ourselves in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They aren’t presented in the Bible as great warriors or prophets. They are simply three young men caught up in turbulent times and faced with an impossible challenge. They even acknowledged that God might not rescue them from the blazing furnace. Many times in our own lives, we won’t know what will be the outcome of faithful obedience to our Lord. Perhaps, we might be required to make unimaginable sacrifices for our faith. These three men remind us that it is always right to be faithful to God. Our lives are in His hands. In life, in death, in triumph, and in tragedy we demonstrate to a watching, skeptical world what it means to claim the name of Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I am humbled by the knowledge that You allow me to show an unbelieving, sometimes hostile world what it means to trust God in all things. Help me stand firm in the midst of my trials and trust You regardless of the outcome. I desire that others would know what it means to love God as they watch me live by faith. May You be pleased by how I live. Help me to be even more faithful, and please use my faithfulness as a witness to others of what it means to trust God. Amen.