Favored to Experience the Fire

Daniel 3

In this week’s glance in Daniel we find three young men who take an amazing stance for the Lord. All of Babylon is commanded to worship an image when the music plays, yet three decide to refuse in order to honor God Almighty. I often wonder how easy it would have been to bow to the image anyways. Babylon was a large territory and no doubt they could have mixed in with the crowd and probably could have bowed unnoticed. Yet, they realized a holy God was watching and knew the physical cost could not come close to the spiritual cost of a bowed knee. Just as with this story, we face many tests where it seems as though going with the world’s flow would be easier than standing for the Lord. We rationalize the situation and think standing would not be worth a “furnance.” But today, allow me to challenge you to stand for what is right no matter who or what is involved.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

If you by faith stand even in the face of persecution, just as in verse 25, God will give you grace and walk with you through your fire. Christians are not to walk around the fire, yet we are called on to go through the fire in order to bring God glory. Do you feel as tho your stand will not impact anyone? Allow me to close with this verse:

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Will you stand for the Lord today?