Fueled by Fire

Hi, and thank you for joining us for this Tuesday edition of the Our Daily Bread devotional. Our reading is titled, Fueled by Fire, and it was written by Allison Keita. When two firefighters, Weary and Sooty, stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, the waitress recognized the men from the news and realized they'd spent the night battling a warehouse here.

To show her appreciation, she wrote a note on their bill, Your breakfast is on me today. Thank you for serving others and for running into the places everyone else runs away from. Fueled by fire and driven by courage, what an example you are. In the Old Testament, we see an example of courage in the actions of three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Instead of obeying the mandate to bow down to a statue of the Babylonian king, these young men courageously showed their love for God through their refusal.

Their penalty was to be thrown into a blazing furnace. Yet the men didn't back down, declaring in Daniel chapter 3, If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold. God did rescue them and even walked with them in the fire. In our fiery trials and troubles today, we too have the assurance that God is with us.

He is able. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Daniel chapter 3 verses 13 through 18 and 25 through 27. Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?

Now, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what God will be able to rescue you from my hand? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your majesty's hand.

But even if he does not, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. And now verses 25 through 29, the Lord said, and now verses 25 through 27, he said, Look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, come here. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed.

Their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Let's pray. Almighty God, we thank you for being with us in the fire and for comforting us with your presence. Help us, like you did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to be courageous in the faces of those who oppose us because of you, and help us to display the kind of sacrificial love that you showed to us, that hearts may be turned to you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.