#DailyDevotion Faith No Matter What Is The Point
November 23rd
Read Dan 3:1–30
Dan 3:14-21 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? (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. (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.” (19) Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. (20) And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. (21) Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace.
We have all heard this story in Sunday School or VBS and we usually come away with the wrong message. While it is true it teaches us not to worship idols, that is not the main point. While it is true that the Lord rescued the three young men in the fire, the point most certainly is not, “If you are faithful to the Lord, he will rescue you miraculously.” I’m afraid that is what most people get out of it and the devil uses that to help us fall away from the true faith when troubles beset us and it doesn’t appear the Lord is doing anything to help us or deliver us. We simply suffer and/or die or live with the fact that someone we have loved got sick, suffered or died a horrible death.
The three you men certainly believe the Lord is able to deliver them in verse 17 and indeed they believe he will deliver him in that verse. But the key to understanding the whole is those three little words in verse 18, “But if not…” It takes some real courage to stand before the king of the world and tell him, “We don’t care what you threaten or what you’ll do to us, we won’t obey.” They are not concerned whether or not the Lord will deliver them. They will not bow down to the statue. That’s it. Period.
Why would they answer like that? It only made the king even angrier. He liked these kids. But with their answer, his countenance towards them changes. He wanted them dead. Killed dead dead. He has the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. So hot it is that those dumping the kids in the fire die from the heat in the process. Jesus tells us, Mat 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” They feared the Lord more than they loved their lives. We are called in faith to do the same.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant unto us true faith and fear of your name that on the day of decision we may think, live and do as the three young men and have the same fear of your name as they did. Amen.