IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

No Other God Can Save

Date: Feb. 11, 2025

Passage

Daniel 3:19-30 (ESV)

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 3:25

He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was greatly offended by their refusal to bow before his idol. He ordered the fire to be made 7 times hotter and had his strongest soldiers bind them and throw them into the furnace. Ironically, the soldiers were killed by the flames, but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were unharmed. Rather, they were walking in the fire – and with them was a fourth man who looked like the Son of God. The king witnessed these things, as did all his officials, and they knew God had saved them. Nebuchadnezzar called to them to come out of the furnace, and they did! God completely saved them! Their story can be our story when we trust in God who loves us and is completely able to save us from every peril (Ps 50:15, 2 Cor 1:10).

In complete fear of God, the king commanded that no one speak a word against God, and the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When God’s servants refused to bow down to idols or serve other gods, they were saved and prospered. We learn how to live in an anti-Christian world which tries to force us to deny our faith in Christ and abandon godly values and principles.

Prayer: Father, thank you for quenching the fury of the flames (Heb 11:34). Thank you for saving me as no one else can. Help me to stand firm in my faith.

One Word: God alone saves me from the fire

Daily Bread

The Lord Sends Jacob Back to the Land

Genesis 31:1-30

Key Verse: 31:3

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

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