Today's Bible Reading: DANIEL 2:1-3:30, JEREMIAH 7:1-8:3
Daniel 3:18
“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.”
Every day we face concerns that could cause us to compromise our faith. These societal struggles seek to derail our faith and dismantle our beliefs. They might be big or little issues but they make us consider how we will respond in a manner that will allow us to maintain our commitment to Christ. There are days when we stand firm in our faith and other days when we succumb to the pressures upon us and fall victim to their persuasions. Our hopes are always to faithfully keep our commitment to Christ.
Our text tells the story of three guys who disregarded the tug of cultural pressure and persisted in living out their uncompromising commitment to the Lord. They were confronted with a command to compromise their faith that had serve consequences for noncompliance. To disobey the decree of the king meant the possibility of death, yet they defied it anyhow. They chose commitment over compromise.
The consequence of their actions were clear, their defiance was not disregarded. They were sentenced to death. When ask to present their defense, they declared their unrelenting allegiance to a higher King in a heavenly tribunal. When given the opportunity to recant and obey the king’s edict by falling down and worshiping the likeness of his image, they declared, “be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Dan 3:18). Their commitment to the Lord God would not be compromised.
Their commitment to the Lord led to their unwavering confidence. This was evident in their response to the King, who asked them, “And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan 3:15). They answered the king’s query with complete confidence and without hesitation, “. . . 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“ (Dan 3:17). They knew the consequences but maintained their conviction.
Their choice to trust God was so certain that even if God did not deliver them from their fiery furnace and it became their martyr’s grave, they would not deny their Lord. When speaking of their hope of the Lord’s deliverance from death, they said, “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.” (Dan 3:18). This is the disciple’s dedication. Whatever my come their way, their commitment to their Lord is solid and sure. They were not concerned with the result, but with what was right. They were not just committed if they were delivered but also “if not”.
This is the kind of conviction that we are to have. The “if not” faith that says if my faith is tested to the point of ridicule, rejection, resentment or even death, I will not back down or back away from my total commitment to my Lord. It is this kind of unrelenting commitment that the world is waiting to see and when they see it, like in the story of these three, it will cause them to take notice, turn to, and trust in the Lord. (Dan 3:28-29).
Today ask the Lord to help you live out your commitment to Him like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Thank Him for their example of their determination to boldly and fearlessly follow the Lord even unto death. Ask Him to help you have their “if not” kind of faith that doesn’t concede your commitment to Christ even if things don’t go the way you expect them to go.
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