Daniel 3
This chapter is one of my favorites which shows the glory of God in its fullest and has deep meaning. The world that we live today is no less different from the times of Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These wise children of Israel were faithful and lived a holy life under insurmountable hostility of the unbelieving idolaters. The evil schemes, jealousy and hate ran was predominant and the children of Israel had a separate life away from it. This is sanctification, anointment, and a best example of leading a holy life. You need to be separate from this ever present overwhelming evilness that surrounds you.
King Nebuchadnezzar erected a mighty golden idol of non-god which was no less architectural marvel in those days. Finding an opportunity to get rid of the Jews, the Chaldeans accused them of not worshiping the idol to the king, who then condemned them to die in a blazing furnace. The answer given by the three friends of Daniel was baffling. They answered and said, 'There is no need for us to give you an answer in this matter......' Most of us today need to give an answer when presented with circumstances to worship the idols of this world, because we don't lead a holy life. Our Christian lives are shallow and most often people see no difference between us and the others. In such scenario, we need to explain ourselves to the world. However, if our lives are covered in Christ, people will know without explanation that we do not bow down to strange idols no matter what.
The solution to all our problems lies in our attitude. A right attitude emanates from a right relationship with God. The three friends of Daniel had a right relationship with God. This we know from their answer to the king in the 17th and 18th verses, 'If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing furnace of fire, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if He does not, let it be known to you, o king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.'
Most often in our lives, we feel defeated when God may not respond to us like the manner we expect. His ways are different and wisdom testifies that they are for the greater good. Sometimes, the place you feel you are vulnerable are the best places for a meaningful growth in life. If Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah hadn't stood fast and if they hadn't proclaimed their faith, there wouldn't have been a burning furnace episode and we wouldn't have had the privilege of witnessing the Lord Jesus Christ as the shining Son of God in the furnace as the Protector. A right attitude will make us say, 'if God wills, let Him save me, for He can. But if He doesn't, then know this O world, that I will not bow down to your idols no matter if it is made of gold, no, not even under threat or any insurmountable odds. Amen.
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