Day 3

Trust When It’s All on the Line

from the reading plan


Daniel 3:8-30, Isaiah 43:2, Galatians 3:7-9


Compromise is all around us today. It’s everywhere we look, even the Church. The idols of our age tempt us with false promises. And if we reject the promises of sex, power, and money, we may be left out. Likewise, if we stand by our convictions, we may find ourselves alone. Yet, at the heart of it, the Bible teaches us that this world holds out empty promises that can never fill our souls. When we go with the currents of this world, we may find immediate gratification, but the pleasure will be fleeting and we’ll be left with nothing but empty hands and broken hearts.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is a powerful reminder that conviction trumps compromise every time. When Nebuchadnezzar warned them of punishment for not worshiping a man-made image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly proclaimed their faith in God and would not be coerced into bowing down to any another. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “If you don’t worship [the image], you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” (Daniel 3:15).

These were men of God who did not compromise. The faithful men answered, “If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3:17–18).

And God did just as they knew He would. After being thrown into the fire, they emerged completely untouched; their clothes and hair were left unsinged, and not even the smell of smoke lingered on them. What a testimony to the comprehensiveness of the Lord’s protection! God often meets His children in the most profound furnaces of life, promising, “You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you” (Isaiah 43:2).

Perhaps the burning desire to turn to the things of this world is a fire crackling in your heart today. Is our God not able to strengthen you to resist compromise? Is our God not able to empower you to resist the temptations that so easily entangle us? The same Jesus who promised to be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20) also taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13, NIV). Therefore, be strong. Do not compromise. The reward for faithfulness is infinitely better than the fleeting satisfaction that comes from yielding to this world’s temptations.

Written by Matt Capps

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