October 20, 2021

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.’” – Daniel 3:16-18

If you are not familiar with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, let me give you a very brief summary: these men were Israelites living in exile in a foreign land. At this point in the story, the king of this land, Nebuchadnezzar, was trying to force them to bow down and worship his idol. But as worshipers of the One True God, they refused. What is most interesting to me in this story, however, is not their refusal to worship an idol, but their answer to the king. They essentially say, “Our God can recue us… but even if he doesn’t, we will still worship Him and only Him.” Their faith lay in who God is, not what he would do.

There is a clear difference between knowing what God can do and presuming what he will do. These three men were prepared to be rescued in miraculous fashion or give their lives. If God is truly God, then we must worship him alone, regardless of the outcome. This truth should be even more clear for you and me then it was for these three men so long ago. You see, we have something that they did not; something that should create in us incredible faith and powerful strength to stand up in the face of persecution. We can confidently worship God because of what he has already done. Our God has sent his one and only Son to die for our sin. He has already rescued us from condemnation. There is no king, no government, no false god who can ever take that away from us. I do not know what God will do, but I am completely confident in what he can do, and I have everlasting peace in what he has already done.

Almighty God, You have done incredible things. You have done more than all we could ever ask or imagine. Today we commit to worship and serve You alone, trusting that what You do in the future will always be for our good.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon