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 3:17-18 (NIV)
“Even if….” Those two words say a lot. They suggest a situation that the speaker considers to be unlikely. They say that even in this unlikely scenario, nothing would change. They show the strength of conviction of the speaker.
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were faced with a difficult situation. King Nebuchadnezzar had set up a large golden statue in Babylon and ordered all people of every nation to bow down to it every time they heard the sound of music. If anyone refused, they were to be thrown into a blazing furnace. The three friends knew that bowing down to an idol was against God’s laws, but if they refused the king’s order, they would be put to death. Their situation was even more complicated because they had been put in a position of authority. The people of Babylon were watching everything they did, and the Israelites in the area would have been looking to them as an example of what to do.
These men chose to put their trust in God, confident that He would deliver them from the king’s punishment. When they were questioned about their refusal to serve the king’s gods or worship his image of gold, they told the king they didn’t need to defend themselves to him. They knew that only God’s judgement mattered, and they made sure the king knew their conviction was strong. “Even if he does not (deliver us from your hand), we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
As a result of their conviction, all three men emerged from the furnace completely unharmed. Even their clothes and hair were untouched, and there was no smell of fire on them- as if they had never been in there at all! King Nebuchadnezzar then recognized the power of God and promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to hold even more authority in Babylon!
Today’s Truth: Make sure your convictions reflect a complete surrender to God’s will.
Today’s devotion was written by Danni Manning. Danni grew up in a small, country church, where the members were like an extended family, and she helped her brother lead Sunday morning services in the local nursing home. As an adult, she works part time at a salon, and works as a freelance makeup artist. Danni is a craft-loving, book-reading, homeschooling mom of two, and is dedicated to raising a family who knows and loves God.
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