Former Blackout Artist

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?” – Dan. 3:14

Reading Daniel this morning and coming across this verse, I couldn’t help but think about that same question that was asked of Peter the night of Jesus’ arrest. “Is it true that you were with this man and know him?”

Back when I used to play a lot of golf, I always got a kick out of watching how well my playing partners would hit the ball on the practice range before the round. Every shot would seem to go right down the middle. They were calm and relaxed, and they would swing the club confidently and smoothly. But as soon as we walked to the first tee box 20 minutes later, I noticed that their attitude would quickly change. They didn’t seem so relaxed and confident.

On the practice range, there are no consequences for wayward shots. If you didn’t hit the last ball well – who cares. You just roll over another ball and try again. There are no water hazards or sand bunkers to avoid, just a big, wide open field. But once we go to the course, all of that changes. Now there’s a price to be paid for not trusting our golf swings.

King Nebuchadnezzar confronted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and asked, “Is it true?” He demanded to know if they truly refused to bow to the golden statue. Their faith had left the practice range and stepped onto the first tee box. The stakes were high, and there was no rolling over another ball for another try without dire consequences.

It’s easy to profess our faith in God when there seems to be no risk for doing so. We can declare our beliefs freely and without concern when no one is watching or when we feel secure in the company of like-minded people. But what about when there might be real costs, like ridicule, rejection, or even danger? Like those three young men, we are sometimes called to stand firm and declare our faith when the stakes are high.

Faith, when tested, is no longer about going through the motions without risk. It’s standing up when the world, the crowd, or even those in power demand we bow to something else. Trusting God in those moments requires courage, conviction, and a willingness to bear the cost of staying true to Him. Are we ready to stand firm, even when the consequences are real? Do we trust Jesus enough to say, “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 3:17-18)