I once had a parishioner who was suffering greatly.  He was trying to hang on with all his might, but his pain and ability to breath was overwhelming.  I visited him frequently.  In one of my visits, he told me he had a dream about three men.  He said their names were “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” He asked me if their names meant anything.  “Yes,” I said.  They were thrown into a fiery furnace because they would not worship the king’s god!  The king’s punishment was to have those who would not worship his gold idol was to burn them in this furnace – much like when someone is cremated.  These three Jewish men refused to worship any other god than God Himself.  So, the King had them thrown into the furnace.

These three men were not afraid.  They tell the King, “Your threat means nothing to us.  If you throw in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up…We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) The king is furious and has the men thrown into the fiery furnace.  My parishioner asked me, “Is this what is going to happen to me?”  I told him, “You have to know the rest of the story…”

These three men are in the furnace – bound and foot – and the king suddenly becomes alarmed!  There’s not three men, but four!  When the king orders them out of the furnace, “there is not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, and not even the smell of fire on them!” (Daniel 3:27).  Their God – our God protected them and kept them from harm!  I told my parishioner, “I believe that your dream about these three men was to reassure you that you have nothing to fear!  God is with you – right here beside you!”

No doubt, there is so much temptation all around us every single day.  It would be so easy to worship so many other things – careers, money, sports, technology, and the list goes on.  But, in the end, there is only one God who can save us from the fiery furnace. Live today for the only God who loves you so much and will protect you and keep you from harm!