The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that is found in the Book of Daniel shows us what it means to have friends who point us toward the loving Father. What I love about this story is that when the Israelites were exiled, there comes a point when they, along with the other Babylonians, were commanded by Nebuchadnezzar to worship his 90-foot statue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego all refused to do so. They refused so much so that they would eventually be thrown in a fiery furnace. An Angel of the Lord shows up and keeps these three guys safe from harm and no hair or fringe from their clothing was singed. There's a ton more to talk about from this section of Scripture. If you're interested, you can read Daniel 3.
What's amazing about this event is that these three friends were there for each other. You can bet that living in exile in a foreign land would lend an easy target to losing one's faith, but these three guys chose to stick together and fight. They knew God was real and that He was a transformational God. They knew that regardless of what happened in this situation, faithfulness to their God was most important. I love the aspect that these friends stuck together and had one another's backs. They didn't let one another slip and fall, but they were there to make sure they all stayed in the battle. This is the response given from the three friends to Nebuchadnezzar during their confrontation:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT
Who you sit with matters. As you walk out in your faith walk, remember that we are more likely to keep up with the fight when our band of brothers and sisters are sitting right there with us.
Questions to Ponder:
Who are you sitting with? Are they helping you grow closer to Jesus? Who is someone you walk with that will challenge you in your walk with Jesus?