Courage under fire. We often encounter situations that require us to stand up for our beliefs, even at the risk of loss. We speak up about an injustice. We blow the whistle on unethical behaviors at work. We refuse to endorse societal values that clash with the truth of God’s Word. We perform these acts of bravery, knowing they can result in loss of our jobs, our relationships, and even our social standing. The pressure to back down can be tempting.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood this pressure and refused to let even the threat of death sway them. God had their complete trust; they placed their fate in His hand. When faced with the fiery furnace that was meant to be their death sentence, they declared, “But even if [God] does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3:18). What a bold proclamation from these three young men in the presence of such a powerful king! They chose faith in God over fear of a human king. No matter how intense Nebuchadnezzar made the fire, the young Jewish men refused to abandon their trust in the Lord.
Their story gives us a powerful picture of what unwavering faith in God looks like in our own lives. We trust that He is with us, no matter what flames we face. We trust in Him when we are sick, encounter financial hardship, and even lose our loved ones. He promises to be with us through it all (Isaiah 43:2). And so even when the king made good on his fiery threat, God proved that He had not abandoned His faithful ones (Daniel 3:25).
The Lord can also use our faithfulness to change people’s thoughts and actions in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. Nebuchadnezzar marveled at the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego after witnessing their delivery from the fire, acknowledging, “There is no other god who is able to deliver like this” (Daniel 3:29). Even further, he passed a law that forbade anyone else from speaking against God. This allowed other Jewish exiles to worship God without fear of punishment. This all came about because three young men refused to give up their faith.
And what about us? How do we respond when it seems as if everything and everyone is against us? We lean in closer to the one who refuses to abandon us. We trust that as we walk through the flames, He is with us every step of the way.
I so badly want my faith to be as intense and secure as them. I felt chills reading this and how bold they were being in their without any compromise. To be this courageous in faith, please pray I do. It’s been so hard lately and I was to lean into God more than ever.
I’ve been struggling with my job and keep reaching out to God to give me strength but I keep taking back control. I realize I’m not making the plea I need to. The plea isn’t help me survive this challenge. It’s how do you want to use me in this challenge.
I am struggling with my job as well. Thank you for sharing this perspective.
I am still with goosebumps their statement of faith that even if God did not save them they would still worship only the one true God. How often do I waiver when the storms come and cling to things for comfort instead of God alone
This story is one of my favourites for that very reason. The goosebumps. The reflection on my own life.
These young men had such faith what a testimony for us. May we be found faithful. 
Two things from the reading that really stood out to me:
The text mentions that after Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound, they “fell” into the furnace. It made me think about how so many times, we fall into our situations of strife and turmoil, we don’t always walk directly into them. The text continues by mentioning that after seeing what was happening in the furnace that King N. “called” to the young men to “come out” of the furnace. Isn’t it beautiful that after we have fallen into difficult situations that we get called to come out of them?
Also, something that I loved to see is the verses from Izaiah discussing how we can walk through flames, but God will be with us and how we will be untouched by them… these words were written MANY years prior to the Babylonian exile. They were a promise fulfilled, and the words will continue to be for us in the years to come. Thank you Jesus.
God never promised that we wouldn.t encounter hardships, but He did promise that He will be with us, He will never leave us or forsake us. We can count on that! Amen
Am I a Nebuchadnezzar- prideful, rash, or temperamental?
Am I a Chaldean- gossipy, jealous, or legalistic?
Am I a Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego- steadfast in my faith, not given to fear, and certain God is good no matter my circumstances?
I confess and repent that I am the first two more than I would like to be. Lord, continue to sanctify me and create a pure heart in me. When I am faced with the rivers and the fire, may I remember that you are near, that you are who you say you are.
Amen, Lindsay. I echo your prayer!
Faith over fear! Yet living it is so much harder. I have a lot of friends who are not believers, I was baptized in March 2019. I recently worked up the courage to suggest a devotional book about Hope, a few friends of mine have encountered loss in various ways during this pandemic. Rather than complain and be angry, I was looking for a way to encourage. One surprise was when a friend agreed to give it a try. The other friend (who I thought might be more open to it) then said she might get sarcastic especially if it was a bunch of “bible thumping”. I did have a talk with her about how that wouldn’t be appropriate and it was okay not to participate in the devotional, but during that conversation, I felt there were times I was silent about certain beliefs when I could have been more vocal. I’m not sure if I did this because of fear of rejection or if it was best to stay quiet so God could do his work in other ways. I feel I wasn’t courageous enough, faithful enough. It amazes me that the 3 in today’s reading were so unwavering and strong at the risk of death! Mine was just a conversation. This reading reminds me that God will walk through the fire with me, that I’m not alone in the challenges I’m presented.