“I don’t like it at Joanna’s house,” Alice said, flopping down next to Grandpa with a sigh. “She wanted to play Barbie dolls, and I wouldn’t, and she got mad because I didn’t want to look at her magazines. They were all about fashion and stuff. I was so glad when we could leave!”

“Those are Joanna’s idols, dear,” Grandpa said. “It can be hard to stand for what is right in such places, but maybe you’d like to hear a true story about

Three Men Who Stood

(Reference: Daniel 3.)

It was a big day in the land of Babylon. The great king Nebuchadnezzar had called together all the rulers and government officials to the erection of his great golden statue. A trumpet was blown and the crowds hushed to hear the announcement: “Listen all nations and peoples, for when you hear the music begin, you must fall down and worship the king’s golden image. Those who don’t shall be cast into a fiery furnace.”

In the wave of bowing forms that followed the music, someone noticed three men who stood toward the back of the crowd. Stood, mind you. It was three Jewish officials who would not respect the king or his gods. Wouldn’t the great Nebuchadnezzar be angry about this! In a moment they were summoned to him.

The three men could see that they were in trouble before the king even spoke. His eyes narrowed as he snapped, “So, is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up?” He leaned forward and glared at the three who seemed so indifferent. Did they not understand the power and might of their king?

“Now if you are ready to fall down and worship when you hear the music, it will be well,” Nebuchadnezzar continued with a grim smile. “But if not, you shall be cast at once into the burning furnace!”

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not afraid of what you can do.” The answer came back calm and unmoving. The startled king’s face turned red as the speaker boldly continued, “If we are cast into your furnace, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of your hand. But if He doesn’t, you should know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image which you set up.”

The king leaped to his feet in such a rage that he looked frightful. “Heat that furnace seven times hotter!” he roared. “Tell my mightiest men to bind these wretches at once. They shall be cast into the fire!” The mighty men came and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were led to the scorching furnace and shoved in. But the heat was too much for even trained soldiers, and they fell dead at the entrance.

Nebuchadnezzar glared after them, and suddenly his eyes grew wide. “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the fire?” he asked, standing up. “True, O king,” his governors replied.

“But look! I see four men loose, and walking around in there.” His voice hushed. “The fourth one looks like a god.” Stepping nearer the entrance, the king called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the most high God, come here!” And without any difficulty they did, unharmed and without smelling a bit like smoke. In amazement the haughty king blessed the God he had just defied.

“So,” said Grandpa, as he finished the story, “you can see that others have had to stand against pressures to do wrong, too. That is just one story, and it shows again how God is watching over those who serve Him.”

“I knew about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but I never really thought about how hot that furnace was,” said Alice. “I guess God just made it so they couldn’t feel it.”

“Yes, He surely showed His power on their behalf. I don’t think that it looked that way to start with, though.” Grandpa smiled at his granddaughter.

“It must have been scary,” said Alice, “but they didn’t act afraid. They just kept doing right no matter what would happen. Even though the king was so angry with them.”

“A bit like Joanna, right?” Grandpa said.

“Oh, it really wasn’t that bad. She didn’t have any fiery furnace to cast me in—just called me stupid and proud. It helped me to remember that Jesus was called names, too.”

“Yes,” said Grandpa, “He was with them in that fiery furnace, too, wasn’t He? I think that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were happier walking around in the fire than they had been standing before the king’s image.”

Alice looked up with a happy smile. “I guess they were, weren’t they? I am glad that Jesus can be with me, too.”