Student Devotion Week 45: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego: Standing in the Furnace

Key Verse: Daniel 3:17-18, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Daniel's friends. In fact, all four of them were exiles from Judah living in Babylon. During King Nebuchadnezzar's three-year training period. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were with Daniel. While Daniel got in trouble for his prayers, it was their failure to bow down to a gold statue that heated things up for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge gold statue built. At the dedication ceremony, he declared that when people heard the music, they were to bow down to the golden idol-except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When Nebuchadnezzar heard of their refusal to bow down, he was furious and gave them one last chance to submit or face a painful death in a fiery furnace.

The confrontation between the king and these three young men was nothing short of classic. Nebuchadnezzar asked them what god could protect them in a blazing furnace, to which not just one but all three of them basically said, "The God we serve is able to save. But even if he doesn't, your majesty can be sure we'll never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you've set up."

They were willing to put their lives on the line for God. Why? Because obeying God and being faithful to him were more important to them than life itself. God did rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from certain death in the burning furnace. And the bold stance by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego caused the king to issue a new declaration: "There is no other god who can rescue like this!" (Daniel 3:29, NLT).

Student Devotion Week 44: Daniel: Firm Convictions

Key Verse: Daniel 6:10, "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before."

Daniel's life was good. He was blessed with good looks. His family was well off. He was well educated. Then the Babylonians took over his country, and he was forced to live in exile. Daniel learned to make the best he could out of a bad situation.

Daniel was selected to go through special training in Babylon. He studied the language and culture of the pagan Babylonians, but Daniel never turned his back on God. Daniel kept his faith in God and his integrity, yet he still gained favor with the Babylonian rulers. That's when the trouble started.

King Darius was fond of Daniel, and he made Daniel his second in command. Some jealous peers decided to use Daniel's devotion to prayer to bring him down. The princes and administrators appealed to King Darius' vanity by having him sign a decree stating people couldn't pray to anyone except the king for 30 days. But Daniel kept on praying to God three times every day, just as he'd always done.

King Darius was trapped and forced to sentence Daniel to spend a night in a den of hungry lions. The next morning, the king raced to the lions' den and asked if God was able to deliver him. Daniel called out that he was fine because God had shut the mouths of lions. Darius issued a new decree that everyone in the kingdom should worship Daniel's God.

Student Devotion Week 43: Ezekiel: Sent To Warn

Key Verse: Ezekiel 33:9, "But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself."

Don't people frustrate you when their words don't match their actions? One celebrity campaigned against sport utiltity vehicles because they use too much gas, yet he flew in a private jet and rode in limousines. Are you ever guilty of speaking God's message but not living it? God instructed Ezekiel to live what he preached.

God chose Ezekiel to be a prophet five years after the babylonians took Judah into captivity. He was called a watchman by God and was given the task of speaking about God's judgment and the future hope for the restoration of God's people. God described Ezekiel's audience as hard-hearted and stubborn. God also warned Ezekiel of the danger of becoming like his audience. By simply "practicing what he preached," Ezekiel could avoid that danger.

Ezekiel used unique ways to present God's message. Once God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390 days to represent 390 years of Israel's sin. Then God told him to lie on his right side for 40 days to represent 40 years of Judah's sin. Ezekiel spent more than a year lying on his side.

God called Ezekiel to minister during some of the darkest days of Israel's history. His message was that God's glory had departed from his people but would one day return. Ezekiel offered the hope of restoration and future blessings from God. While Ezekiel spoke to hostile crowds, God called him to live what he preached. If he did, God promised to protect Ezekiel.

Student Devotion Week 42: Prophet Habakkuk: Live By Faith

Key Verse: Habakkuk 2:4, "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith."

Do you remember Job? He was a man who suffered and wanted God to answer his questions. Habakkuk is another Old Testament character who tried to question God. Job asked why God was punishing him; Habakkuk wanted to know why God hadn't punished the nation of Judah.

Habakkuk was a prophet during the closing days of Judah's history, probably during the reign of King Jehoiakim. The prophet watched as people violated God's laws without shame. The Israelites were living as if the God who miraculously delivered their ancestors had never existed.

The first part of the book of Habakkuk records two dialogues between the prophet and God. The conversations went something like this -

Habakkuk: God, how can you let the sins of Judah go unpunished?

God: I'm preparing the Babylonians as a way to Judge and punish Judah.

Habakkuk: God, why would you punish sinful Judah by using the pagan Babylonians?

God: I will punish both Judah and the Babylonians because sin cannot go unpunished.

The book of Habakkuk concludes with a beautiful prayer of praise sung by the prophet. Habakkuk acknowledged God as his source of strength in times of trouble. Habakkuk's questions caused him to experience God's wonder in a powerful way.