“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

How long has it been since you have read through Daniel chapter three? What a powerful demonstration of the work of the Lord in the hearts of the three Hebrew men as they stood before wicked King Nebuchadnezzar. As you remember, whenever the people heard the music playing, they were to bow down before the image of Nebuchadnezzar. Failing to do this would result in the loss of their lives. At the sound of the music, the great crowd of people fell flat before the image. To everyone’s amazement, there stood that day the three Hebrew men that we know as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They simply refused to bend their knee even if it meant their lives. They would not bow down to the image. Why? They knew that only the Lord, the true and the living God, deserved their worship. Even in the pagan land surrounded by violence and wickedness, they lived by a different set of convictions and principles. Friends, you know things are changing quickly in our world. As our culture and society grow in their pagan intensity, may you and I be people who remain gracious and kind, but above all may we be a people who remain true to our God and bend the knee to Him alone!

For today: May the Lord give you wisdom, strength, and courage today as you put Him first in your life as you live in such a pagan world.