So much of the world is on a 5-10 second attention span. Even when it comes to looking at scripture or the things of God. We throw our attention only to what pertains to us and then we quickly move on. Keep it short, paint some flowers or a mountainscape in the background, and make it feel comfy. I don’t need to tell you this. You already know.
Most of us are cozied up to a nice blanket of self-affirmations by 9am. Scrolling through our phones, picking out the memes we like best, sharing them, or hiding the ones we’re not fond of. When someone sees us later in the day, they might say “Hey, I loved that meme you posted!” and we’re racking our brains trying to figure out which one.
We build monuments to ourselves. Right here. In this little phone you’re holding.
It makes sense, dear friends. The need to feel seen and heard is expected and the world banks on you utilizing it’s every move to benefit yourself.
Yet, you and I both know that there is only One that can provide divine connection and acceptance on a consistent basis, and His love for you cannot be contained in a meme.
In the bible, there’s a King that lives much like this. Constantly building up his own sense of self-worth, though figuratively in his case. He even built a tower for people to worship. Then, when three young men refused to bow to it- he decided to do something about it. (For the full comedic commentary of this story- check out my podcast next Monday!)
Remember Daniel’s friends from my last post? The guys that probably sang him to sleep the night before they were supposed to die? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were given a cushy job after Daniel interpreted the king’s dream but here we find them in a tight spot with the king. They refuse to worship the golden image that the king has built and he’s threatened to put them into a blazing furnace.(Dramatic, I know)
So basically, we have this narcissist throwing a fit saying “Worship me! Pay attention to me! Love me! Affirm me!... and if you don’t- I’m going to bake you in my giant oven.”
“..If you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Daniel 3:15
This sort of reminds me of one of the opening lines of the blockbuster hit from the late 90’s- The Titanic. Remember when Cal says “Even God himself couldn’t sink this ship.”? I remember feeling like that was some serious foreshadowing. Just don’t go there, Cal. Now this entire ordeal is your fault.
So, King Nebuchadnezzar does the same. “What god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
For these three boys the answer was simple. My God can.
“We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18
Perhaps the most talked about verse in this passage- “Even if He does not”. Bottom line, world? We won’t worship any other god by King Jesus.
On a daily basis, the whole of society is crying out "Come! Worship me! Pay attention to me!" and we do it. We are so terrified of being labeled “out of touch” or “that kind of Christian” that we assume that society’s agenda is God’s agenda. This happens in all facets of life. We fear that if we don’t affirm the actions of the world, we’ll be ostracized, ridiculed, or let’s be honest- left out. What if instead, we said “No, I trust in God’s sovereignty. I will bow to no other god. Not even the god of comfort.”
In choosing to step into the fire, these three boys afforded God the opportunity to shine brighter than ever in the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar. No matter the consequences, they trusted in the sovereignty of God.
When faced with the choice of affirming the world or compromising our faith, we must trust that God will be glorified whatever the case may be. We may lose a relationship, a job, or an argument (heaven forbid), but knowing that God is sovereign and He is in control is winning. To the world, it may look like we are walking into a situation where we are going to get burned, yet God knows the outcome and He sees the seeds planted. The people on the outside looking in will some day see the evidence of Him working if we keep believing. Loyalty to Christ’s call on your life must be the only thing that gains your allegiance.
When we trust in God’s sovereignty like they do in this story- it causes the enemy to forfeit his right to barter for our sense of security.
Just as with this King, much of society will not like you saying no. The king was furious for two reasons:
Furious because the boys wouldn’t affirm or justify his actions.
Furious because he couldn’t do anything to punish them.
You won’t gain any new friends, that's for certain, but scripture tells us that it's better to lose the whole world than your soul. You say, it's not that easy, Kari. I know. But it's worth it.
God is showing us in this story that nothing else matters. Your devotion should lie with Him, not with the persons and things around you. There’s nothing the world can do to us because we know in our hearts that our God would not send us into a fire that He’s not willing to walk in Himself.
Later on, the boys entered into that furnace. The king made sure it was 7 times hotter than usual and even the guards that threw the three men in were killed just by getting close to it. Yet- when the king looked down into the fire, he saw not only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He saw what he described as “a son of the gods.”
Gives me chills every time I think about it.
What is demanding your attention? What god is beckoning your worship these days?
Matthew 6:21 tells us “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Treasure His promises. Put your heart's hope in the fact that your God affirms you, beckons you, and stands by you in every imaginable tight spot. He will be your defense and His name will be made great every time you decide to trust His sovereignty over your own security. In choosing to worship Him alone, you will be left unscathed.
Dear God, may we choose the fire every time. For we know that Your glory burns brightly inside it. May we start today, deciding that You are worth the risk. You are all that matters. May our feet stand firmly on Your promises for us and may Your Name be made great in our lives. There is no greater comfort than knowing You deeply. No greater security can be found than in Your love.
*Next week on the podcast, we have Amber Irving of The Strong Home joining us to talk about this story, God's sovereignty, and more! Tune in for that as it airs Monday October 26th! If you're riding in your car, taking a shower, going for a morning jog, or washing dishes- it's a great way to listen to the word of God unfold in a relatable way. Follow/ Subscribe at anchor.fm/kari-jones-banks
