Olivia, a beautiful angel in heaven was walking swiftly
toward the throne room to speak to Father God about something she had seen
through her window in the side of heaven. She always talked to Him when she had
questions about what she saw, and she had just seen something amazing.
“Oh, Father God, it is so good to talk to You again. “
“Yes, I always love talking to you also. What is troubling
you this time?” He asked gently.
“I have been watching what is happening with the king of
Babylon.”
“Oh yes, Nebuchadnezzar. I know him well. I gave him a dream
about a statue made of different metals and clay. He was amazed when My servant
Daniel was able to interpret the dream. He recognized that I am truly the God
of gods, and Lord of kings, and he promoted Daniel to a high position in his
country. Sadly, he has already gone back to his wicked ways.”
“I know, Father God. He built a gold statue 90 feet tall. Then
he told everyone they had to bow down and worship it or they would be thrown
into a fiery furnace. How could he tell people to worship his statue when he
already realized that You are God of gods, and Lord of kings? I don’t
understand.”
“Well, Olivia, too many people forget very quickly who I am,
and what I have done for them. They are blinded by sin. Nebuchadnezzar wanted
to make everyone bow and pray to his statue to prove that he had power over
them. It made him feel strong.”
“But, Father, there are three young Hebrew men who love You
and serve You. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”
“Yes, I know them well also,” He replied. “King
Nebuchadnezzar put them in positions of power in his kingdom. I call them my
Hebrew children. They are wonderful sons of Mine.”
“Oh, I agree, they are amazing. But the king told all the
people that when they heard the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery play in
symphony with all kinds of music they had to bow down and pray to the idol at
that time. When the music started, everyone bowed down on their knees and
started praying to the idol except the three Hebrew children. They stayed
standing, refusing to pray to the idol because they know You are the only true
God, and they didn’t want to betray You. With all the other people on their
knees with their faces to the ground, it was very obvious they were standing
and not praying to the idol. There was no place for them to hide. They must
have been so afraid.”
“Yes, Olivia, they were very afraid. The king had said he
would kill them, and they knew the fiery furnace would be a horribly painful
way to die. They also knew the king would have to do what he had said or the
people would no longer be afraid of him. So, the Hebrew children knew the king
would not back down and forgive their disobedience.”
Olivia said, “When the soldiers saw them refusing to bow
down they went and told the king. Then the king went into a rage and demanded
the soldiers bring the three Hebrew children to him.”
“When they brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to him, he
asked them if it was true that they had refused to worship his god. They told
him, ‘Oh 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, oh king. But if not, let it be
known to you, oh king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the
gold image you have set up.’
“The king was so furious he had the soldiers tie their hands
and stoke the fire seven times hotter than usual. When he had the soldiers
throw them into the fire, with all their clothes on, the flames were so hot
that all of the soldiers fell down and died from the heat. Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego fell into the flames.”
“Then king Nebuchadnezzar was shocked, and jumped up and
said to his counselors, ‘Did we not throw three bound men into the fire?’ They
answered him and said, ’we did’. Then the king said, ‘Look, I see four men walking
around in the fire and they are not hurt, and the fourth one is like the Son of
God.’ “
“The king called out to the Hebrew children and told them to
come out of the furnace. When they came out and stood before the king, their
hair and clothes were not singed, and they didn’t even smell like smoke.”
“Then king Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent His angel and delivered His servants
who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, yielded their
bodies, that they should not serve, nor worship any god except their own God. Therefore,
I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything
amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces,
and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who
can deliver like this.’ Then he promoted the Hebrew children to higher
positions in Babylon.”
“I was wondering, Father God. Couldn’t the Hebrew children
just have bowed down but not worshiped the idol. That way the soldiers would
never have known they were not praying to the idol, and they would have been
safe? What would have happened then?”
“I would have understood that they were afraid and weak, but
I would have been very sad that they let their fear stand in the way of them
trusting Me. Of course, if they had asked Me to forgive their fear and weakness
I would have, but this wonderful miraculous story would never have taken place and
been told as a witness to others about Me. This story will be passed down
through the years to all generations, and will encourage others to put their
trust in Me, and know that I will never abandon them.”
“That was an amazing thing to watch, but You don’t always
deliver people when they are in trouble, do You?”
“No,” He replied, “sometimes I deliver them so the rest of
the world will hear their story and see that I am God. Sometimes I let them go
through the problems, but I do promise that I will always be there with them. I
want people to come to Me so I can take away their sin, and mend their heart
and life, and when their life is over, they can be with Me. The rain falls on
the just, and the unjust. I don’t want people to serve Me just so I will keep
them from ever going through hard times. I want them to serve Me because they
love Me. Service without love would have no value. “
“Thank You for explaining this to me. I always know that I can
come to You with anything I don’t understand and You will always be there for
Me. I love You.”
“I love you too, Olivia, and you are always welcome here.”
Daniel chapters 2 and 3
