Read

Daniel 3:26-30

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. ²⁷Then the princes, prefects, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be crushed into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” ³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

Reflect

One sentence in today’s verses capture exactly what this story is about. “They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God”. Looking at your own life, what would you be willing to give up to serve God? Would you be willing to give up your life?

Cassie Bernall had a choice. Cassie was in Columbine High School when two teenagers killed her and 12 others. It is widely reported that one of the killers asked Cassie if she believed in God. Her answer of “Yes”, cost her, her life. She was shot and killed. She had a choice. She defied the killer and died because of her choice. Would you be able to do that?

Respond

1. Did the actions of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego change anybody’s life?
2. What were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego willing to give up to serve God?
3. Placed in a similar situation as Cassie Bernall, would you make the same choice she did?

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