“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.” (Daniel 3:15-18 ESV)
Threats and Faith
Charles Blondin was an American acrobat who made a name for himself crossing Niagara Falls on a hi-wire. By the time he retired, he had crossed the Falls over 300 times, walking nearly 10,000 miles with his wheelbarrow on a rope stretched over the Falls.
I like to think about him on his 299th trip. Clearly, he faced a threat of death. Wind, muscle twitches, an unexpected slippery spot, and the unpredictable nature of gravity (at least in MY back yard) all combined to threaten Blondin. But while he might have been afraid the first few times, eventually, according to his journals, he was barely aware of the threat. Blondin’s history let him face threats with calmness.
Likewise, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They knew the history of God’s dealing with threats against His people. They would remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would remember the threat of famine during Joseph’s time. They would remember the threat of Pharaoh. They would remember the spies who feared the threat of the Canaanites. They would remember the threat of a giant, Goliath.
And even more.
When Nebuchadnezzar threatened them, they had more than a history, they had a HISTORY. God defends His faithful people against puny threats. A fiery furnace, to God, was no big deal.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose the faith that God enabled them to wield.
Threats today might seem intense. But we have even more history of God’s protection than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remembered. We can remember what happened at the fiery furnace and the lion’s den. We can remember what happened to Babylon. We can remember how the People of God were returned from exile. We can remember what happened as the temple was rebuilt. We can remember how Jesus dealt during His earthly ministry with the threats of illness, political turmoil, jealousy, hatred, temptation, fear, and crucifixion.
And even more.
We have more reasons to choose the faith that God enables us to wield. Whatever threats are in front of us.
Choose the faith God grants us.