Daniel 3:1
1 King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon.
2 He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue.
3 They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
4 A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: “Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen!
5 When you hear the band strike up – all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals – fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.”
7 The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone – every race, color, and creed – fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews.
9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king!
10 You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue,
11 and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace.
12 Well, there are some Jews here – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don’t respect your gods and they won’t worship the gold statue you set up.”
13 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in,
14 Nebuchadnezzar asked, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up?
15 I’m giving you a second chance – but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don’t worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us.
17 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king.
18 But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
19 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual.
20 He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace.
21 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire.
22 Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it,
23 while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?” “That’s right, O king,” they said.
25 “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!”
26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
27 All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men – not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.
29 “Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
God loves to show His power. He doesn’t like saving you from troubles, He allows you to get into trouble and then comes swiftly to save you out of the trouble, that way He’s able to show off his ability to save in the face of troubles.
I am encouraging you today, that just like the three young Hebrew boys who in the face of death were fearless, spoke with such confidence and boldness that made the king rage in anger…….that you too can develop that kind of faith in God to a level where you know for sure that God never fails….He has never failed and He’ll never fail…..
When you develop this kind of faith, then you become a terror to the devil and his agents…..notice that the three young Hebrew boys didn’t pray for deliverance……they where not even afraid of death….its a level in faith ……where death is already defeated …. so threatening them with death was a waste of time…..Its called radical faith.
checkout their response : 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us.
17 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king.
18 But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
My God!!! Iam forced to wonder and imagine what was going on in the heavens at that moment……..I feel that the heavens was still…with all the inhabitants of heaven on their toes watching to see what happens……this event was watched by all men on earth at that time because king Nebuchadnezzar was ruling the then world, my God……..
…..as they spoke, God was not troubled like a man would have, instead, He was super proud…….(what a day and time to display my saving power before the most powerful king on earth and poof to the people of the earth that I ‘am the only God in the whole universe who can deliver in this type of situation).
Just imagine how glorified Gods Name became in the then kingdom of Babylon….. God has not changed, He’s looking for men who will put Him on the line….God is not afraid to be put on the line…..He loves to display His power and Glory……when things become very difficult… be full of joy because God loves it when its difficult and impossible for you so He can show how great He is.
Stop overthinking, stop worrying, stop crying for help, stop wondering where your help will come from, stop praying for deliverance……start singing and chanting your victory in Christ, start speaking to the situation, annoy the devil with your response, make the situation feel useless before you, just like the eagle in the face of a storm…..(soaring—a style of flying where eagles hold their wings outward and rarely flap, saving them considerable energy. Instead of flapping, they rely on rising air currents to gain altitude) floating on the wings of the storm……… my God.
As a child of God always have this mentality that you cannot fail. God never fails. There’s no situation that has the capacity to drown you. You are a born winner for ever. In Christ we are more than conquerors.
If I’m here, JESUS is here!!!
Emmanuel Obani…..The 7SevenStarGeneral.
