Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego vs. the Blazing Furnace

refined by fire—may be proved genuine (1 Peter 1:6-7).

A faith that endures the fiery trials of life is a faith that can be trusted. Here is a question for you to think about: “Can your faith handle the fire?”

• Could your faith handle the trial of an unanswered prayer?
• Could your faith handle the trial of personal loss (money, health, someone you love)?
• Could your faith handle the trial of betrayal?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were people just like you and me. They were young men who had hopes and dreams for the future. They wanted to live. They didn’t want to die. But they were faced with a difficult choice: bow down to an image or be burned alive.

What would you do? If I were in their place, I might rationalize why it wouldn’t be so bad to bow down to the image:

• I will bow down but not actually worship the idol.
• I will worship this one time and then ask God for forgiveness.
• This is a foreign land. God will excuse me for following the customs of the land.
• My ancestors set up idols in God’s temple! This isn’t half as bad!
• Everyone else is doing it.
• If I get myself killed and a pagan takes my position, he won’t help my people in exile.

Although all these excuses may sound sensible at first, they are dangerous rationalizations. To fall down and worship the image would violate God’s command in Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The problem is, when we rationalize once, we can rationalize twice. And when we rationalize twice, we can rationalize three times, and on and on. Before long, we are living a life of compromise.

What do we do when our faith is tested by fire?

1. Obey God’s COMMANDS instead of man’s EXPECTATIONS.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter” (Daniel 3:16).

Nebuchadnezzar had given Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego important positions in his kingdom. He had even given them a second chance to escape the blazing furnace. But pleasing Nebuchadnezzar meant displeasing God. They were determined to obey God and not a man.

2. Believe the TRUTH instead of just the FACTS.

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17).

• Fact: The king said, “Bow down.”
• Fact: They disobeyed.
• Fact: The king was angry.
• Fact: The furnace was very hot.
• Fact: The king threatened to throw them into the furnace.
• Fact: Anyone thrown into the furnace would die.
• Fact: They didn’t want to die.
• Truth: God would deliver them.
• Truth: Even if God didn’t deliver them, they would go to heaven.
• Truth: It is always better to obey God. If they had bowed down, they would have lived with regret. If they had not been delivered by God and died, they would have died with a clear conscience.

3. Believe God. Don’t just believe IN God.

“But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, “The God we serve...” (v. 17). The Lord was not the God they only heard out or read about or the God their parents served. Their faith was not just a faith of words or thoughts or feelings. It was a faith of actions.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego