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I want to present three challenging points to consider within the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Be honest. Most (or all) of us have never really been in a situation quite like this. We talk a big game. We say we wouldn’t deny Christ. We like to believe we have strong faith, but, what if your decision to take a stand places your family in danger? What if your decision to stand with Christ costs you money, property, your reputation, or worse? What if it places you in the crosshairs of physical harm? I don’t have the answers. I’m not even sure how I would react in a situation like this. What this really comes down to is how great your love is for Christ. Is it greater than family? Is it greater than financial stability? Is it greater than losing everything and being homeless?
We can’t know how we would respond with certainty. However, I believe we can train ourselves in the knowledge of Christ so that our hearts and minds are saturated with His truth. In the midst of chaotic situations such as this one with these three men, I believe we will be given insight by the Holy Spirit that will empower us to choose God’s way over man’s way.
I am grateful for the rights we have in this nation, but they are political rights. They may be based around spiritual principles but they don’t guide our lives like Scripture. It is clear throughout Scripture that those who choose to follow Jesus will face all kinds of persecution and trials. We should expect it. Often, we pray that God would just get us out of a situation quickly and easily. What if God would have shown up before these three men made this decision and rescued them in some other way? These three would not have had the opportunity to put their faith to the test and, more importantly, the glory of God would not have been on display for an entire nation to witness. Often, we whine about our rights when we should quietly take our stand and let the glory go to Jesus in the end.
It is difficult to stay balanced sometimes. We definitely don’t want to question God’s ability, but we wrestle with reality. In truth, we can talk ourselves into almost anything and justify it from a spiritual perspective. Does God want me to do nothing and trust Him, or, should I jump in and act because He created me with a brain? Some Christians claim to know exactly what God wants them to do in every situation while others are content to do nothing and let God’s sovereignty work everything out. How can we know which is right? OK, enough with the questions…
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had the perfect balance of trusting God but staying humble. This is actually what I love most about this story. They believed wholeheartedly they could not worship that statue. They didn’t overthink the decision. However, when it came to facing their punishment, they really didn’t know what God was going to do. They could only control the decision that was within their ability as a fallible human believer. The rest was left to God. These guys were full of both faith and reverence. They didn’t question God’s ability but they also didn’t question His decision. What a perspective to have!