"If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king." ~Daniel 3:17, NCV
Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and the king of Babylon. This is a classic Sunday-school tale, and chances are good that you've heard it before and you know that it's technically Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and king Nebuchadnezzar.
And even if you didn't hear it in Sunday-school, maybe you've seen the Veggie Tales rendition. Regardless, the basic story is the same - three Hebrews are loyally serving their God, despite the fact that the king set up a statue and commanded the people to bow to it on pain of death. When the signal to bow came, all of the people in the city bowed except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (and presumably other Hebrews as well, but we don't know their story). The king was furious, and had to stick with his penalty - burning in the furnace.
Now the three protagonists know that by standing when everyone else bows, they risk getting cooked. And in the verse above they clearly demonstrate the feelings on this topic - they trust that their God can, and will save them from the furnace. They know that God has all power, and that Nebuchadnezzar's power is minuscule in comparison.
Even though you know the end of the story, it might be good to read it through again in Daniel 3. Yes, God saves them, and add greater odds than anyone expected!
If God can and will save them, can't we be certain that He can and will save us? And even if He doesn't, you've still done the right thing by obeying Him and not giving in to the pressures of the world, and He will honor that.
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