Prove Yourself Faithful

Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Daniel 3:29

The story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace teaches us these four lessons:

1) Doing God’s will can land you in trouble. Don’t expect the world to appreciate you. Look at Jesus: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it’ (John 1:4-5).

2) God will be with you in your trouble. When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fire, he said, ‘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’ (Daniel 3:25). Instead of destroying them, the fire destroyed the ropes that bound them, setting them free. Be encouraged! It may look like circumstances have you locked in, but God is going to vindicate you and bring you out victoriously.

3) It’s your trouble that produces your testimony. People are watching you. The things they’re trusting in don’t work, and they’re wondering if what you’re trusting in does. Your faithfulness to God and His intervention on your behalf will touch their lives in ways your theology never will. Everyone in Babylon knew what the Hebrew children believed. But they wanted to know, ‘Does it work when you’re in the fire?’ It does!

4) The greater your trouble, the greater your blessing. ‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon’ (v. 30). Here is a scriptural principle you can count on: when you prove yourself faithful in times of trouble, God will promote you to higher levels of blessing.

Prayer