Matters of Faith: Stay the Course

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.”

Daniel 3:16-18 NKJV ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

We are introduced to Daniel and his three Hebrew brothers after their home country of Judah had been attacked and defeated. They were among several young men of the royal family and other leading Jewish families who were specifically chosen by order of King Nebuchadnezzar through his highest-ranking palace official to be trained for three years then appointed as court officials. They would be taught to speak the language and given the same food and wine as the king was served. Their devotion and faithfulness to God would not allow them to indulge in the food and wine that had been prepared for them. They were able to convince their guard to allow them to eat only vegetable and drink water for ten days that they could prove that their God would sustain them. After the ten days, those four young men were healthier, smarter, and wiser than all the other young men.

The interpretation of dreams was a gift the Lord had given Daniel. When the king had a dream he could not understand, the only person in his kingdom who was able to decipher it was Daniel. In gratitude, the king granted Daniel’s request that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego be given high positions in the province of Babylon while he remained in the palace as an official. Because all four of these young men stayed the course and kept their faith, they were blessed.

There came a time when Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue with orders that everyone from every race and every nation had to bow down and worship whenever the music was played. Anyone who refused to bow down and worship would be cast into the flaming furnace.

When the king was made aware the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to worship the golden idol, he threatened to throw them into the furnace. They did not bow, and they did not break. They were committed to their faith in their God. They believed that their God would save them from the flames. If He didn’t, they believed He could if He wanted to. They stayed the course.

When you know who you are and whose you are, you can stay the course! You can hold on to your convictions no matter the situation. Those three young men were willing to face death rather than deny their faith.

Prayerfully, you have the kind of relationship with God that you are willing to stay the course, even face death before you turn your back on Him. What do you need to do to stay the course no matter what the circumstance?

In case you didn’t know, those three young men were thrown into the furnace that had been heated seven times hotter than normal but walked out with not so much as the smell of smoke on them. In addition, King Nebuchadnezzar became a believer (Daniel 3: 27-29).

Stay the course! It’s well worth your effort.
Be Blessed!

Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting; an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx; creator/host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Monday’s 8:00 – 10:00 PM (626-226-1448) and author of Matters of Faith: The Book, an eBook available at Smashwords.com.

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