He ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Daniel 3:20
When I read today’s passage, I can’t help but wonder what I would have done. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were instructed to bow down to the golden image or be thrown in the fiery furnace, they obeyed God, heroically standing up to the king of Babylon. God miraculously intervened, saving them from certain death and changing King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart.
What would I do? I imagine some future scenario where the government has become overtly hostile to my faith, demanding that I renounce it or die. I’d like to think that I would honor God, but honestly, it’s not likely that I’ll ever have to make that choice.
The real question that I must face every day, is, Will I do what is right in the little choices here and now? I like to think that faith is about the once-in-a-lifetime heroic choice, but in reality, my faith is defined by where I point my life in the (seemingly) little, day to day choices. Frankly, the biggest threat to my faith is not the government, but my own destructive appetite.
Today, do I choose to get up, read my Bible, and point my life at God, loving him and loving others? Or, do I get up and do what I want? Do I find my purpose and meaning in God or in social media? When I pursue my lust, greed, addiction, and desire for affirmation, I follow the idols of my appetite at the expense of God. I may not bow down to a golden idol, but in pursuing all-things-me, I turn my back on God just the same, sowing the seeds of my own destruction.
If I want faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I must follow God in the little things or I will never stand up in the big challenges. If I want to stay sober when the temptation to relapse inevitably hits, I must have made good choices leading up to it. If I want the life God desires for me, I must daily turn from my own idols to follow him.