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.

Daniel 3:17-18

What is normal? What is incredible? What is the difference? When we describe something as normal or incredible, it is because from our point of view we find it to be that way. It does not necessarily mean that it is though.

When we read what Shadrach, Meschach and Abedngego had to say to this king who was threatening their lives because they would not bow down to his idol, we are in awe of such incredible faith. I am pretty sure, however, that if you were to have a conversation with these three Hebrew men about it they would not consider it incredible. Perhaps they would wonder what else were they supposed to do. They could not bow down and continue serving their God with a clean conscience.

So, why is it so incredible to us? It is because too often we find ourselves bowing down to things that are much less threatening than a fiery furnace. Perhaps when society challenges our stand on certain moral issues, instead of standing up for what is right we sit down and shut up. When we come across an individual that needs to hear the message of Christ, we clam up or look the other way because we are either too afraid or not sure what to say. I imagine that if the three Hebrews in this passage were to see us act like this they would say, "That's incredible. That's not normal for a child of God." It's all about perspective.

Pastor David

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