I was reading again in Daniel 3 the familiar story of how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the golden image. They were the only ones who refused to bow. It is amazing that everyone else in Babylon had become a victim and slave to do what they were told. They were indoctrinated and brainwashed that this was the right thing to do. It says that "all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image" (v. 7).
Although we are not forced to bow to images of false gods today, we still face the same challenges. We are educated and propagandized to bow down to the gods of humanism and false gods that are opposite to the God of the Bible. Because they are educated by liberal teachers and college professors, even Christians bow to these false gods. The deceptions are so ingrained in their minds they think they are normal.
May God save us from being deceived by false gods. May we as parents be watchful enough to save our children from being victimized by the deceptive gods of this society. May we have the courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand against the grain. Don’t you love their unwavering confession before the king? "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver 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" (verses 17 and 18).
We know the story of how God delivered them from the fiery furnace, but MORE THAN THAT, their courage to stand against the false god "changed the king's word" (v. 28). They turned the heart of the king of the nation because they would not give in!
Are you bowing to the status quo of this humanis society? Or are you standing against the deception?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell