Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego
Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego--three Hebrew young men
who refuse to bow down to the king's giant image--suddenly find themselves
being offered a second chance from the king himself. But the king's offer is
heavily laced with threats: "But if you do not worship it, you will be
thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to
rescue you from my hand?" (Dan 3:15). This doesn't phase these faithful
men at all, however, and they calmly reply: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not
need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into
the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he
will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you
to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of
gold you have set up." (Dan. 3:16-18)
The king's response would indicate that Nebuchadnezzar was NOT impressed by
Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego's declaration of faith! "Then
Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego . ." (Dan
3:19) And in his anger, the king ordered that the furnace be heated 7 times
hotter then usual, he commanded that the three Hebrews be bound, and he
ordered his strongest men to cast them into the fiery furnace.
Isn't this, so often, what seems to happen to us when we make a declaration
of faith? Often this is the time that everything just seems to start going
wrong. It seems that our trials increase seven-fold, and we suddenly find
ourselves "bound" Why? Because like Nebuchadnezzar, the devil becomes
FURIOUS at our testimonies of faith! And like Nebuchadnezzar, the devil
usually proceeds to send in his strongest forces to bind us. Then he heats
up the fires of trials and tribulations seven times hotter than ever before,
and he throws us in! The trials he sends are so "hot" that his strong forces
cannot even stand them.
But there is good news, my friends! Just like Jesus, Himself, walked in the
fiery furnace with Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego (see Dan 3:24,25), He
walks in the midst of even our most fiery trials! Just like the cords were
burned off of the hands of the Hebrews (see Dan. 3:25), Jesus sets us free
from the "cords" the devil is trying to bind us with! Just like Shadrack,
Meshack and Abednego, we NEED NOT FEAR! For Jesus walks with us in the
midst of everything the devil tries to throw our way!
But isn't it the case that when we are in the midst of the heaviest trials,
this is the time when we can't seem to SEE God? True. Why? Because the
devil likes to keep us blinded by deception. But as surely as He walked in
the furnace with Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, He walks with us today. The
Bible tells us Heb 13:5: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you." Our job is to believe and claim this promise. When we do, the
devil's trials, the cords he uses to bind us, and his strong forces will all
fall away, just as assuredly as they did for these faithful Hebrews.
Father God, When I am in the midst of trials and tribulations help me to
remember this story! Help me to remember that no matter what, You will never
leave me or forsake me! Help me to remember to look beyond the trials and to
claim this promise, ever believing that You will remove the binds, You will
keep me from being burned, and You will remove from me the strong forces
that try to keep me down!
Mthokozisi Maphumul