Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will de-liver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:17, 18). What an amazing statement of faith and courage!
The above quote was stated by three young men who were determined to only follow the true God, no matter what the outcome. The penalty for not bowing down to the king of Babylon’s golden image was death,—to be burned alive. The outlook for these three young men certainly did not look pleasant,—at least in human reasoning. God, however, had a different plan. The rest of Daniel, chapter 3 tells us the ending to this gripping story. Yes, the three men were thrown into the fire; but, they were not burned! Verse 25 says, “…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” The Son of God was with the three faithful young men in the midst of one of the hardest tests in their lives. Later the king commanded everyone to worship the true God and promoted the three men to high ranking offices in the kingdom.
Our youth/collegiate class has been studying the book of Daniel, and we have been learning much about trusting God in the face of difficulties. God does not always remove us from problems but He does promise to help us if we just ask Him. Peace in the midst of a storm, comfort during heartaches, strength for each day, and courage for tomorrow all come from knowing God. In John 14:27 the Bible says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” I hope and pray that each one of us will find that peace and trust in God.
Ly Lan Nguyễn
