Declaration: (3) WE WILL WORSHIP GOD WHATEVER HAPPENS

Then they said (Daniel 3:18): “even if he does not deliver us, we will still be faithful to Him, we will still worship Him.
We will not serve your gods or your golden image, O King.”

I thought that after this was a let down after the previous Declaration, but this is actually the highest kind of faith, that trusts God whatever happens: 'Even if I burn I will not bow. I will still worship God.' This is not lack of faith. This was their total dedication and submission to God. They were 100% loyal to God. Some people only serve God when things go their way.
Do you have this kind of faith in you? Or do you just follow God when things are going well?Are you like these young men? Will you never bow - whatever you are feeling - whatever happens - whatever your friends are doing? They said: “We will never bow, we must be true to our God.”

Daniel 3:19-21: “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace 7 times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valour who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans and their other garments and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

He was very angry and commanded the furnace to be heated
7 times hotter! This was not strength showing, but weakness.
He was rattled by their bold confession. The strong confident faith radiating out of the young men through their words made him worry that their God was real and stronger than he was, well able to save them! He was very nervous after their bold confession!

If you hold fast a strong confession of faith it will impact those around you. So just in case their God was going to protect them, he turned up the temperature, just to make sure! Moreover, he used his best and strongest men to bind them and throw them into the fire, again to make sure God would not help them escape. Also he bound them up everyway possible. He was afraid now of their God!

Daniel 3:22-23: “Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these 3 men... fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.” So, they were thrown into the fire.

Here we see what happens to compromisers, the men who were the first to bow, so as to not be burned. They burned! The fire was so hot that they were killed by the fire - the terrible price of compromise! (v22). What you compromise to keep, you will eventually lose in the fiery trials of life. They tried to keep their life and they lost it. If you BOW, you will BURN. Compromisers have no power to endure the fires of life - they are combustible, they will burn. They have no strength to face the fire. They end up losing everything. You can't win by compromising, but if you keep faith in God you can’t lose - for He will turn up in your trial.

Daniel 3:24,25: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar (who was still nervous from their confession and so was watching to see if they would burn) was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his Counselors, “Did we not cast 3 men bound into the midst of the Fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see 4 men loose, walking in the midst of the Fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the 4th is like the SON of GOD.” Nebuchadnezzar had a big surprise!

He said: “I thought we threw 3 men into the Fire.”
His counsellors said: “That's right, O King, 3, definitely 3 men.”
The King said: “Look, I see 1,2,3,4 men. Who is the 4th Man in the fire?” He said: “I see 4 men loose, walking in the middle of the Fire. Who is that 4th Man - He looks like the Son of God?”

“They should be burnt up, but the flames are not touching them. They were bound, but now they are free to walk. That 4th Man must be protecting them. He must have loosed them. They are walking and talking with the 4th Man. Who is the 4th Man?”

They would not BOW, so they could not BURN.
Because they did not compromise the 4th Man turned up in the Fire, and caused the Fire to have NO Power over them.

Daniel 3:26,27: “Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then they came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the Fire had no Power; the hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.”

Isaiah 43:1,3 was fulfilled: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.....
When you walk through the Fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God.”

The trials of life are like a fiery Furnace, but if you refuse to compromise, the 4th Man will be with you too. If you don't BOW, you can't BURN. Look to God, and you will meet Him in the fiery trials. He will be with you. He will untie you and loose you. He will walk and talk with you. The Fire won't touch you or hurt you. When you come out, you will not even smell!
Why? Because the 4th Man will be with you in the Fire!

If you do not compromise, the Fire will not touch you.
It will even work for your good. You will not be hurt by it.
The bondage of the enemy will be LOOSED off you and you will end up promoted just like the 3 young men. We also have to face our own fiery furnace of tests, trials and temptations. They are not sent from God, but from the enemy to pressure you into compromising. If you trust God, He will be with you in the Fire. You will be under His protection. If you trust Him, He will deliver you and manifest Himself to you.

God does not put you into the fiery Furnace, but He will bring you out. He does not make the Fire, but He will give you power over it, and bring you though it with your character strengthened!
He does not bind you - but He will LOOSE you from your bonds! He does not bring sickness, but He will heal you!

Your problems may be real and big, but not as big as these young men faced, not as bad as being thrown into a fiery Furnace! If you had the choice of your problems and this Fire, I know what you would choose! If they could stand firm in faith in the trial, then so can you! If you bow, you will never meet the 4th Man in your problem. If you bow, you will be running from satan in fear all your life, dominated and intimidated by him.

Problems come to all, but you can go through them with the 4th Man, if you do not bow. They are even opportunities to grow stronger. If you give your life to God, then you too will meet the 4th Man in the fiery Furnaces (trials) of life. If you don’t BOW, you won’t BURN. The 4th Man will be with you and save you. He will be with you in trouble, and will deliver you and promote you! He will show up and help you through your troubles at home, at work, with sickness and money, and whatever situation you face.

When they came out of the Fire, there were only 3 men again!
The 4th Man had disappeared. Where! He had gone to deliver someone else, who was saying: “I will not bow.”

God bless you for reading.
Please don't forget to share to bless others.

Amen!!!