By Matt Capps
Compromise is all around us today. It’s everywhere we look, even in 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. On the other hand, 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 will 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 of judgment for not worshiping a man-made image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly proclaimed their faith in God and would not bow to 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” (vv.17–18).
And God did just that—after being thrown into the fire, the men 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, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, 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 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, “Do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). 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.
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