Practical Wisdom from the Word of God

Daniel 3:16-18(NKJV)
¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
¹⁷If 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.
¹⁸But 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.”

This week we have been looking at the story of 3 young Hebrew men who were in captivity in Babylon.  Despite the position of authority they were placed in by the king, they found themselves subject to a law that demanded they worship a golden idol or be put to death.  They chose to stay loyal to God and were brought before the king.  Here they communicated some attitudes that I believe we need to have in place if we are going to walk by faith.  We have looked at three.

1. No matter what it costs us we will not compromise the Word of God.
2. Our God is able to deliver us from anything the enemy can throw at us.
3. Our God will deliver us from the hands of the enemy.  We may not know how and we may face some trials but He will deliver us.

Today let’s look at the last attitude they displayed to this heather king.  Remember, he held their lives in his hands.  All they had to do was compromise a little and they could live.  However these boys had attitude.  In the end they told the King, “Even if God does not deliver us, we will not bow to your idol.”

This may seem like the same thing as number 1 but I believe there is a subtle difference that made these three men invulnerable to compromise.  Even if God did not come through for them they were not going to bow.  Now God was going to come through for them, but when they said this it settled something in their heart that could not remain an open “back door.”  Sometimes as we believe God things don’t work out the way we plan.  What do we do then?  Will we get upset with God and wallow in self pity?  Will we become discouraged and back away from the Word?  Not if we have this attitude working. 

You see they had settled it before they came before the king.  They would not judge God by the results they saw.  If they died they died, but they would not bow.  Have you ever thought about the fact that the worst thing the devil can do to you is the best thing that can happen to you?  What do I mean by that?  The thing everyone fears is death.  For us death is the beginning of a whole new level of existence.  That’s why Heb 2:14-15 tells us that Jesus destroyed him who had the power of death and freed us from bondage because he destroyed the fear of death.

Once the fear of death is eliminated from the equation everything else is, as they say, small potatoes!  These men made their decision and because of it they could not be intimidated.  We need to make our decision that nothing will keep us from serving God.  We have eternal life.  That is what really matters.  If things don’t work out on earth, that is just a temporary set back.  You need to tell the devil right now, “I am not going to stop believing God or serving God not matter what.  I am going to stand on the Word of God and not back down even if I never see what I am believing for!”

Maybe that sounds a little confusing to you.  How can I be believing God and say that?  If you are confused imagine how the devil feels.  This is not a lack of faith, but total faith.  Faith is trust in God.  This places complete trust in God’s hands.  The devil has no defense against that kind of thinking.  Jesus did this very same thing in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He prayed that the cup of suffering He faced would be taken away.  Then he said these famous words, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Let’s see how this worked out.  You may say, “Jesus had to endure crucifixion.”  That’s true but in the end He experienced resurrection and all of mankind was set free.  In the case of these young men, they ended up in the fiery furnace.  However once in the furnace something wonderful happened. 

Daniel 3:24-25(NKJV)
²⁴Then 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.”

They did end up in the middle of a great trial, but someone was there with them.  That someone didn’t just look like the Son of God.  The Word says God will never leave us nor forsake us.  Whatever trial you may be facing, He is right there with you.  They went into the trial bound, but the fire that the king meant for their destruction became their liberation.  If we have these attitudes in place before the trial, the same will happen to us.  If you are in the trial, it’s not too late.  Just rise up and cop the attitude now.

Don’t get discouraged.  Don’t allow the devil to intimidate you.  Jesus will not leave you.   The Holy Spirit is right there to be your comforter.  Even if you were to die you will end up victorious.  Don’t prepare to die, just eliminate it as an intimidation factor in the trial.  If death can’t intimidate you nothing else will.  In the end you will be victorious.  It may take a while.  It may not go the way you want it too.  Don’t worry.  You still have time.  You have forever and the vast majority of that is guaranteed to be great!

Give the devil some attitude today.  Tell him, “No matter what I won’t bow.  My God is able to take care of this situation and He will deliver me from a punk like you.  Besides, even if He didn’t, I won’t back down.  I know in the end I win so winning here is really not a problem.”  See what God can do with that kind of attitude to work with. 

Fiery furnace?  No problem!