Perhaps you have heard the Russian hymn, “All I Ever Need is Found in Thee.” In every verse, the author expresses the truth that God is enough for him no matter the circumstances. The hymn is attributed to Russian believers who were persecuted by the Soviet Union. From what I have heard, many Christians were put in jail and tortured because of their faith in Jesus. But they chose to endure the suffering knowing that God was all they needed. The same is true for every generation. No matter if the difficulty is persecution, poor health, or poverty, Jesus is still all that we need.
- What does it say? (Daniel 3)
King Nebuchadnezzar placed a huge golden statue in Babylon. After inviting all of his officials to its dedication, he commanded them to bow down before it when the music began to play. If they refused to bow down, they would be cast into a burning fiery furnace. As you can imagine, when the music started playing, the officials did as they were told. However, some of the people told the king that Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego did not worship the image. The king became very angry and summoned the three men. He asked them if it was true and then told them to choose between worshiping the image or being cast into the fiery furnace. The three believers told the king that God could and would deliver them from his hand. But if not, they would still not serve the king’s gods or worship the golden image. The king became very angry and told his people to heat up the furnace seven times hotter. The three men were tied up by valiant soldiers and thrown into the furnace. But the heat was so severe that the soldiers died.
The king watched what happened and was astonished at what he saw. He asked his counselors if they had cast three men into the fire because he saw four men loose and walking in the fire. He also said that the fourth man looked like the Son of God. He rushed to the mouth of the furnace and told the three men to come out. The officials gathered around them and noticed that they and their clothes were not burned. They didn’t even smell like smoke. This led the king to bless the God of Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego because He had sent His angel to deliver the men who had trusted Him. Although he had been angry at them earlier, he admired their courage for being loyal to God. He then announced that anyone who said something bad about their God would be killed, and their house torn down. He said that no other god could do what had just happened. Then he promoted the three men in the local government. - What does it mean?
God is able to handle any problem (Dan. 3:17).
When the king threatened these men with death in the fiery furnace, it was a serious threat. He meant what he said and later increased the heat seven times more. This was a serious problem. If Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego did not worship the king’s image, they were sure to die. This was a serious situation.
But these three men did not allow his threats to shake their faith in God. They knew that the God of the Bible was the one true God. He was all powerful and able to silence the king and deliver them from that fiery death. They knew that He could and even thought that He would deliver them from the fire.
How did they know this? They knew it from history. They had probably heard the many miracles God had done for believers in the Old Testament. Remember what God did on Mount Carmel? Elijah asked God to show that He was the one, true God. God answered Elijah’s prayer and sent fire down that completely burned up altar, wood, sacrifice, and water. Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego would have remembered that story. It was evidence to them that God was all powerful and able to help them with any problem they faced.
God is interested in faithful people (Dan. 3:18).
After stating their faith in God, the three men added the words “but if not.” They knew that God was able to handle their problem. They thought that He would deliver them. But they also knew that God was in charge not them. If God did not deliver them from the fiery furnace, they still would not worship the king’s gods or worship the golden image that he had set up.
These men were in a predicament. If they chose to bow to the image, they would be unfaithful to God. If they chose to be faithful to God, they could be burned alive. But during this terrible test, they chose to be faithful to God. To them, God was worth it. And thankfully, God rewarded their faithfulness and delivered them from the flames. - How does it apply?
Do you believe that God can handle your problems?
Most of us are not going to face death by fire. But we all will face trials of some kind. We face things like rejection by unbelievers, temptations to sin, and physical ailments. During these difficulties, we may feel like we are unable to overcome our problems. We may think that our situation is too much to handle. That is where we need to look to God. He is able.
In Ephesians 3:20-21, Paul reminds us that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” When we are feeling that our situation is too much to handle, it may be… but not for God. Trust Him to help you through your problems.
Are you willing to be faithful even if…?
Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego knew that there was the possibility that they would not survive their situation. But they still chose to trust in the Lord. As you go through troubling times, it may be that God will deliver you from your problem. But it may be that God will not deliver you from your problem.
Do you remember Job? He lost his wealth, his health, and his children. And yet, he could still say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). Job’s faith was so strong that he still trusted God when he had lost everything. This is what God wants from us. He wants us to trust Him even if things don’t get better.
Conclusion
The exciting story of Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego is one that we have heard since we were children. We love the story and especially the outcome. But don’t let the excitement of the story keep you from seeing the main thought behind it. All we ever need is God Himself. He is able to deliver us. He is worthy of our faith. And when we come to the place where we will trust Him no matter what, we will find God’s perfect peace.