Artwork: Stacy Reeves “Peace that comes out of fiery trials with obedience”
The Fiery Furnace
"Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 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? 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?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[d] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Daniel 3:13-25 ESV
This is the age old classic bible story of the 3 men thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn't worship the golden statue that the King had put in place. Note that everyone else was doing this. There was peer pressure. The King/ the government was forcing people to worship a golden image and its gods. The three men were obedient to the Lord God Almighty and didn't bow - they were willing to die.
How does this story relate to your life? Do you have others who pressure you to not be obedient to the Lord? Do they persuade you to ‘bow’ down to their false gods/ideas that are contrary to what is right? There are incredible amounts of societal pressure to compromise.
An amazing thing happens when you obey amid such trials. Peace floods your heart. And after going through the trial immense inner confidence in the Lord which is an aspect of real peace. Peace is not the absence of conflict but rather an absolute trust and faith in God no matter the battle.
Pray for others to not give in to temptation. Pray that they would overcome. Pray for those that don't have peace to receive Jesus and be obedient to his voice.
Be strong in the Lord!
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