“’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’” (Daniel 3:15-18)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faced with a situation to which few of us can relate.

The most powerful man in the world – a man whose every command was executed to a T – was ordering them to do something forbidden by God: bow to a carved image, a violation of both the first and second commandments.

What would happen if they chose not to bow? They would be thrown into a blazing furnace and incinerated.

It seems like a relatively simple decision, right? After all, their lives were on the line. It’s not like they wanted to bow to the carved image. They were being forced to bow. It would be okay to bend the knee this once, right?

Wrong.

For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bowing was not an option. Their allegiance was not up for grabs. Their lives were already surrendered, not to the king, but to God. And as a result, they were empowered with a courage that can only be defined as other-worldly.

A critical, not-to-be-missed detail in this story is that, despite being surrendered to God, these men were not given assurance about the outcome they faced: “the God we serve is able to deliver us… But even if he does not… we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’”

They knew God could deliver them, and they believed he would, but the possibility still existed that this would be their end. 

Nevertheless, the fruit that stemmed from their surrender was apparent: courage, peace, and fearlessness all flowed effortlessly from their lives even amid grave danger and uncertainty. 

Right now, many of us aren’t feeling courageous at all. Amid COVID-19 and all its implications, many of us could use a dose of courage, or peace, or fearlessness. 

Thus, the question we face during this season might just be, “what does surrender to God look like, here and now?” 

Take some time this week to pray through these questions: “What would total surrender look like for me during this season of life?” And, “are there any parts of my life that I have kept back from the Lord?” But beware, if you ask God these questions, he might just answer you!