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Day 275 Daniel 3:8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 “You, O king, made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, will fall down and worship the gold image; 11 “and whoever does not fall down and worship will be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 “There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So, they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 “Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most-High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. Today there are many causes people get behind. Some causes make a declaration against what people believe. King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue and demanded that everyone bow down and worship the image and anyone who didn’t, would be thrown into a fiery furnace. He had the audacity to believe he was above any god and power. When told about three men who refused to bow to his image, he had the fire heated seven times hotter than usual and cast them into the fire. King Nebuchadnezzar’s audacity changed to disbelief when he saw the three men walking in the fire with a fourth man and declared He was the Son of God. When he brought the men out of the furnace, he declared that anyone who said anything against the Jewish God, he would kill. As Christians, you live in a world of tolerance. Everything you believe in is challenged by society. You’re told you need to conform or be ostracized and ridiculed for your beliefs. As such, many Christians conform. They don’t want to be looked at as different and ostracized by society. It takes a radical few who refuse to conform to the tolerance, and stand up for prayer in school, the right to life, and even go to church every Sunday because they would rather worship God than compromise their faith. Are you a radical Christian? Do you speak up against tolerance? Do people know you pray and spend time with God daily? Or are you as the people of Israel who willingly bowed to the image rather than stand tall for God? When you stand tall, people will notice you. You might even change a few people’s hearts in the process. Let’s pray: Father, help me stand tall for You in a world that tolerates everything. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 16 March 2022 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.