More and more pre-teens, teens, young adults, and maturing adults are plagued by a driving storm of pressure who ironically are called friends. Small and big decisions are influenced by the circle of friends in their lives. Some understand this well others flow with the driving force. Our generation needs friends like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.
What are the similarities between us and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego’s cultures?
1. Worship gods of its generation and gold.
“4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” (Daniel 3:4-5)
Our gods have become an insatiable appetite for instant wealth, overnight celebrity status, living in the richest sub-divisions, driving the top end vehicles, working 2-3 jobs to showcase your lifestyle, greed, the worship of sex, sexual orgies, sex partners, sexual references, all forms of pornography, women made to be god, following the preacher with the most followers, we are drawn to the rich and famous. It hasn’t changed since the days of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. “4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” (Daniel 3:4-5)
2. Fear Dismantles Faith.
“15 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?”(Daniel 3:15) Fear is constantly raging to destroy any form of faith inside of you. The devil will use anything possible in his arsenal to eliminate any ounce of faith within your heart. Our generation needs friends of faith not fame. We need friends of humility not prosperity. We need prayer closet servants not national speakers. We need committed servants of God not lukewarm Christians. Beloved, do not let the influence of friends drive your life let the presence of the Jesus via His Holy Spirit lead you!
3. Every Soul Will Be Tested.
“22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
” (Daniel 3:22-23) Your friends will not give you the backbone of a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Only the Jesus himself can inspire, mold, and give you strength to endure all trials and tests. These verses teach us that no matter how strong you think you are in the Lord, you WILL BE TESTED. We as Christians have become so lazy in finding areas of weakness in our walk with the Lord. We love to ask God to just take it away or destroy it from our lives but the only way that will happen is through the fire! God wants a pure Church, a holy remnant, a people without any attachments to this world. “15 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?”(Daniel 3:15) Fear is constantly raging to destroy any form of faith inside of you. The devil will use anything possible in his arsenal to eliminate any ounce of faith within your heart. Our generation needs friends of faith not fame. We need friends of humility not prosperity. We need prayer closet servants not national speakers. We need committed servants of God not lukewarm Christians. Beloved, do not let the influence of friends drive your life let the presence of the Jesus via His Holy Spirit lead you!
3. Every Soul Will Be Tested.
“22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
4. Choice of world’s gold and God’s gold.
“28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel 3:28) Beloved, there is always a choice you make. Will you let friends, your peers, your circle of relationships lead you into serving the gods of this world or will you let the Holy Spirit show you the love of the Father? These three men were given a choice take the easy, wide road, and worship the gold statue. It was easy to just bow the knee. It was easy to just agree with that generation. Everyone was doing it. Everyone was worshipping the same thing. But faith gives victory in the darkest times. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said even if we must die to this world will live for the living God! We need friends of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, full of God’s presence to stand with us. When we choose God’s gold, it’s a narrow road, we become refined, but then only God, only God alone will receive the glory! Choose God’s gold.
To God be the glory!
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