We know the account of the Hebrew boys well, right? (It’s found in Daniel 3.) King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and commanded everyone to worship it. He also warned that anyone who didn’t worship the image would be cast into the burning fiery furnace. Every one bowed except for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And, of course, certain Chaldeans couldn’t wait to run to the king to tell. (We know some folks like that, too.) They reminded the king that people he chose weren’t even following his own orders. They challenged his authority as king. Have you ever been in the position of standing alone for what is right even when people around you are compromising their values and standards for opportunities, financial gain, or even for comfort? The Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage and filled with fury, and he sent for them. Can you imagine that moment: you committed to taking a stand (or a knee in today’s society), and now there are consequences to doing the right thing—not immediate blessings, but negative consequences? It doesn’t seem fair, does it? But we have to remember that God’s thoughts are nothing like our thoughts, and His ways are so far beyond anything we could ever imagine. He can see infinitely beyond where we are and strategically move us to where we need to be.
Daniel 3:14-16
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
The Manna Chef 