Great Is Your Faithfulnessნიმუში

Faithful to Grant Courage

Some of the most well-known accounts from Scripture are typically included even in children's ministry curriculum. My childhood Sunday School teachers used flannelgraphs with punch-out figures, mimeographed coloring sheets, and boats made from Elmer's glue and wooden tongue depressors to drive Biblical truths home. Ironically, Moses, Samuel, Daniel, and Peter all seemed to look alike. Nonetheless, some of those stories become etched upon your brain. And one of those unforgettable sagas included three Hebrew boys who refused to bow before a manmade statue.

I can still picture the flames behind the three young men on the blue flannelgraph background, trying to embrace the gravity of how epic this experience had to be for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego while sipping slowly on the Dixie cup of red Kool-Aid in front of me. But this account from Daniel 3 has only grown in intensity the older I've become. Flannelgraph just didn't do it justice as I recently re-read of the gutsy, bold stand Daniel's comrades took in the face of a raging inferno.

Let's take a moment to recap the plot. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had led the invasion and takeover of Jerusalem, which was the beginning of a prophesied 70-year Babylonian captivity for the rebellious people of God. Daniel and other well-educated young men were taken to serve among the king's royal service with the primary purpose of acclimating them to Babylonian culture. Because of Babylon's rapidly growing kingdom, King Nebuchadnezzar was growing in power and dominance. And he decided that incorporating religious allegiance was an additional lane to secure his kingdom from these new nations of people in captivity.

Fast forward to Daniel 3: a massive golden image (7-to-8-stories' high!) was created with Nebuchadnezzar's orders for all citizens and slaves to bow before it and worship. And as young men who were devoted to Yahweh, the one true God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could not divide their allegiance, nor worship any manmade gods. But the stakes of non-compliance were substantial as a blazing furnace awaited all who refused to bow down before the golden image.

Blazing furnace. Hot enough to melt bricks. Hot enough to kill those standing outside of it. That makes being 'unfriended' on social media look fairly miniscule, wouldn't you say?

How did these guys refuse? Divine courage.

And where did this divine courage come from? God Himself. They determined to remain faithful to a God they could trust--whether He delivered them on earth, or rewarded them for all of eternity.

What "blazing furnace" are you facing today? God is faithful to grant you courage for the bold stand you must take.

Dig a Little Deeper

If you have recently failed to stand for righteousness when you knew better, or remained silent when God had asked you to speak, seek His face and His forgiveness today. Ask Him to grant you fresh courage to remain steadfast, even when the flames of opposition are heating up all around you.