During the days of the Babylonian captivity, three men stood with God against King Nebuchadnezzar's pride and wrath. In the province of Babylon, the king erected a golden image. Then, a decree went forth from the king. "That at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." {Daniel 3:5,6}

The Chaldeans came to the king to tell him certain Jews were not heeding the decree by paying homage to, and worshipping, the golden image Nebuchadnezzar had erected. So the three Jews -- Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego -- were brought before the king. He told them they needed to choose. "Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" {Daniel 3:15}

How would they answer -- knowing that certain death awaited them if they failed to obey the king's decree? "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, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." {Daniel 3:17,18} The king was furious; he commanded that the furnace be made seven times hotter than normal! The flame was so hot that it consumed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego into the furnace.

What happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego? "Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them." {Daniel 3:26,27}

The king made another decree that any who spoke against the God of these three men would be cut into pieces! No other God can deliver men like this. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego received promotions in the Babylonian province.

One must keep in mind that these three Jewish men had no assurance that the Lord would deliver them from the fire. Yet, they were willing to die rather than compromise their faith by worshipping Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol. We also need to have such faith and trust when we find ourselves in positions that compromise what we know to be right. No, we may not be placed in fiery furnaces, but many times our friends, coworkers, and even our families may try to get us to compromise our faith. We must remain faithful to God, no matter what that decision might mean for us personally. Do you have the faith that these three men displayed so long ago? If not, how can you convince God that He has first place in your life? (Matthew 6:33) This is why the Hebrew writer said it is "impossible" to please God without faith.