OH, NEBUCHADNEZZAR!

Indulge me for a moment as I share a childhood memory. I was about four years old when my parents, my younger sister, and I went to visit Aunt Hazel and Uncle Wesley. Uncle Wesley preached for a very small congregation in Fluvanna, TX. Don’t bother looking on the map; you won’t find it! That Sunday morning, Aunt Hazel was my Bible class teacher. She started telling us about these very brave and faithful men named Shadrach and Meshach. Apparently, they had a pet billy goat. Living in West Texas, that didn’t seem all that strange to me, so I did not question Aunt Hazel.

For quite a few years I believed those two men had a billy goat. Then I heard the story again and learned it was their friend, Abednego! That Bible story was my favorite for many years because it always made me chuckle.

As I grew and learned the story more fully, it morphed into one of my favorite Bible stories for a totally different reason; I’m guessing you know what that is! Those three men, and thousands of other people, were captives in a foreign land. They were ruled by a mentally unstable and morally bankrupt man, Nebuchadnezzar.

You remember the story. An enormous idol had been built; a furnace was built beside it just in case there was someone in the crowd who dared to disobey the king’s command. When the music played, all of the hundreds of people who had been assembled there were to fall to the ground and worship that golden idol. We know that our three God-fearing men refused to obey. The king got so mad; I’m guessing the blood vessels on his forehead were popping out! He had the fire in the made so hot that some soldiers standing too close to the furnace died. Nebuchadnezzar gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego an ultimatum: bow down or be thrown into the furnace. Their answer is a pure delight to me. I am so impressed with their courage, and their forthright answer. I have prayed often that whatever ultimatum I might someday be given, that I would be faithful enough to say those same words of faith and assurance in our God: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that the kind of faith we all want to have? Whoever or whatever Satan puts in your path, you can answer with these words! “Satan, you have no power over me. You and I both know that God is able to deliver me from these fiery darts that you are hurling at me. And, if you kill this body, so what? Because I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and because I know that God always keeps His promises, I will escape from your clutches and be with Him.”

There are so many great people in the Bible that had this same kind of faith. Maybe one of them is your favorite. I’m guessing you love to read their story because they also said, “My God is able…” God bless you in your walk today.         

- Patsy Shero