Today’s Reading: Daniel 3:13-18 (English Standard Version)
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.17 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.18 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.
Takeaways:
- Do you see Nebuchadnezzar grasping at straws here? The passage says that he was in a furious rage. The next part says that he gave the guys one more chance. I think that the King was hoping they wouldn’t push him on this…he seemed to still be working out his consequence!
- What would you do when faced with the prospect of spending the afternoon in a fiery furnace?
- What are the fiery furnaces in your life?
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said…no way…no matter what it costs us. Keep in mind that they even knew what it would cost them.
- Have you willingly gone to a fiery furnace lately over a conviction that God has given you?
- Let’s pray today for opportunities to run headlong into the fiery furnace so that Jesus will be glorified in our lives!