I’m sure many of us are familiar with the account of the three Jewish men who refuse to worship a foreign idol and are cast into a furnace, then are rescued by a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus.
“And the herald proclaimed aloud, ‘You are commanded, O peoples… that when you hear the sound of… every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.’ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar… 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.’ ” (v4-6, 16-18 abr)
It’s so easy to focus on the miracle of deliverance, and miss the power of what these men say in their response to Nebuchadnezzar. They:
– refuse to compromise on their faith / beliefs
– don’t make any excuses or bargains
– trust in God’s power to deliver them from trials
– acknowledge God’s will may not be to deliver them
– realize God is with them during trials, whether He is physically manifest or not
I encourage us to stand firm in our faith under trial, even if this world threatens us with physical violence or death. We rarely know for certain what the physical outcome will be, yet we have assurance what our spiritual outcome will be. James talk at length about the rewards for remaining faithful while enduring hardship. Many believers may unfortunately break under pressure, yet we have the choice to remain unshaken in Christ. Let’s make that commitment, and stick with it, no matter how great the trials / furnaces seem.
Father God, Our Most High Sovereign Lord and Creator, You alone are worthy of our worship. Thank you for Your indwelling Holy Spirit who guides and leads us in accordance with Your will and word. Please be our Rock and Firm Foundation, and deliver us from temptation, so we may not compromise in trials. To You be all honor, glory, praise and worship, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training