Day 291.
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? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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.” (Daniel 3:14-18 ESV)
There are so many amazing stories in the Bible and this is clearly one of them. What is so amazing is the faith of these young men. Even in the face of certain death do they maintain their faith in God. They know he is able to rescue them though they do not know if he will. Regardless of whether he will or won’t, they are remain committed to Him. I have met people who say they have faith in God but when God doesn’t do for them what they want, they are quick to fall away. God, for them, is simply a means to a better life as they define it for themselves. But God is not a means to some end of our own devising. God IS the end. Faith in God leads to God himself, not something God might give you. There is no greater treasure than a right relationship with God.
Now, how did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know this? They knew God was their greatest treasure because they knew God. As they walked with God in the fiery furnace there was no surprise on them like there was with the king who watched. If you too want to know that God is your greatest treasure then you must know God, and he is known through Jesus. And when you know Jesus you too will pass through the fiery furnace unscathed because Jesus stands with you. By the way, everyone will go into the fiery furnace when God brings his judgment upon the world. Those who know Jesus will be unharmed. Those who don’t will suffer God’s wrath.
Do you know Jesus? Are you beginning to understand how great a treasure God is?
Ask God to teach you how great God’s love is for you!
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 21, 1 Thes 4, Da 3, Ps 44
Yes I do know God.
Yes