Unlikely FighterSample

The Young Men Far from Home

About 600 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was the most powerful person on the planet. Defying him was a recipe for certain death.

So when Nebuchadnezzar set up a 90-foot-tall gold statue and commanded everyone in the Babylonian province to bow down and worship it whenever they heard music, that’s exactly what everyone did. Everyone except three unlikely fighters: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three young, Hebrew men had been taken from Judah years before, when Nebuchadnezzar ransacked Jerusalem. They’d been brought to Babylon to be trained for service as government officials.

They were good at their jobs, faithfully executing the duties assigned to them. But when Nebuchadnezzar’s command contradicted the faith they’d been brought up with, it became clear where their true loyalties lay: God’s commands trumped those of the king, even when the young men’s lives and reputations were on the line. They knew God could save them, but whether He did or not, they vowed to worship Him alone.

Their refusal to bow infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, and he had them thrown into a furnace so hot it killed the men who tossed them in. But God proved worthy of their trust. Not only were they not burned, singed, or hurt in any way, but their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke! What’s more, a fourth person—who nearly all biblical scholars believe was Jesus—came to visit them in the fire, adding to King Nebuchadnezzar’s amazement.

The astonished king called the young men out of the fire, promoted them, praised their God, and even decreed punishment for anyone in the entire Kingdom who said anything bad about the One he now called “the Most High God.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to lay down their own lives to serve their true King. How much more should we do the same? In Jesus, we have a King who gave His own life so that we, by simply trusting in Him and accepting His sacrifice, can be forgiven of all our sins and spend a joyful eternity with Him. That same King is with us through any fire we may endure.

Commit to standing for Jesus when others bow to cultural pressure. Your courage will bring glory to God, inspire others to believe, and draw you closer than ever to Jesus.

Reflect:

In what areas of your life are you compromising your obedience to God and His Word?

What can you do today to build your trust in and affection for God?