Do Not Be Afraid Or Ashamed

I have never been in fear or persecuted for sharing my faith; for that, I’m thankful and blessed. We live in a free world for the most part where we can say anything – good or bad.

In Daniel 3 King Nebuchadnezzar was upset that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not worship the golden image that he set up. He told them that if they continued to not worship the image he would throw them into a “burning fiery furnace.” The three of them however continued to say they would not worship the King's god.

They said that the God they served was able to deliver them out of the “burning fiery furnace,” but that if He chose not to deliver them that they still would not worship the King's god. They would only worship and serve their God.

This infuriated the King and he had them bound and put into a furnace. The furnace was heated seven times hotter than normal. The fire was so hot that it slew the men who were ordered to put them in there.

The King at one point looked inside the furnace and was amazed because he said he saw four “loose men.” That no one was bound and they were walking around in the midst of the fire and were not hurt. The fourth person that the King said he saw was in the form of the Son of God.

King Nebuchadnezzar then commanded them to come out. When they came out he and all the princes, governors, captains, and the King's counselors saw that they were not bound. Their clothes were not burned, not one hair of their head was singed, and they didn’t even smell like fire.

The King then realized that their God was the one true God and that God had sent his angel to save His servants. He then changed the decree and said that if anyone spoke against the God of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego they would be cut in pieces, and their houses would be ruined because their God was the one true God. After this, these three men were then promoted.

There are many other stories of people being persecuted for their faith, but that didn’t stop them. In Acts, we read about Paul being beaten and imprisoned several times. God though repeatedly provided means of miraculous circumstances to get him out of prison and provide for him. Paul continued serving God regardless of what came his way because he knew he had a mission to fulfill.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 says “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so, we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

Romans 1:6 says “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took a stand for God and would not back down even though they knew they were facing being burned to death. They knew God had the power to deliver them, but they didn’t ask for it. They chose God above all things – even their own lives. Being put into a furnace would be a horrible and painful death to go through, but God delivered them and the King's heart was changed.

We do not face that in the United States – at least not yet. We have to stand for Christ no matter what others will think about us. We are to please God in all things – not men. We cannot be ashamed of the gospel – we are here to win souls for God's kingdom that’s our mission. We cannot do that though if we are afraid of what others will think of us. God is always with us and just like those three men – God always wins by our standing for our one true God.