Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

I mentioned before that I am currently studying the book of Daniel with Beth Moore. We are currently picking apart the story of  Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Are you familiar with it? If not, I'd encourage you to glance at chapters 1-3 of the book of Daniel, in the Old Testament.
The story goes something like this:
King Nebuchadnezzar decides to build this HUGE statue 8 stories high, for people to bow down to and worship. He commands all the people in the highest places, at the time, satraps, prefects, governers, advisors, treasurers, judges and magistrates, to fall on the ground in worship, as soon as they hear the sound of harps, lyres and other musical instruments.
So imagine this: the countryside is filled with all these important people, thousands of them, surrounding this 8 story statue. The land is covered by all these men.
The music starts to play and at once, all these people fall flat on their faces to worship this graven image, this statue made of gold, bronze, silver, iron and clay. Would you do that if you were commanded to? I mean seriously, this is an inanimate object and suddenly the king tells you to bow down and worship it! Ludicrous!
Continue picturing this.... everyone is face down, but off in the distance there are three men who are still standing. They stand out like a sore thumb - no pun intended.
Some of the satraps, advisors and magistrates walk up to king Neb and are like, "uh, hey, king? See those men over there? They aren't bowing down to your statue. Didn't you say they'd be thrown into the furnace?"
King Neb, considers this and says to the three, I'll quote from scripture, if you don't mind. "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sounds of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
The words, the three men replied with, are simply remarkable! They look king Neb in the eyes and as seriously as they can, and with much conviction, say, "O Nebuchadnezzar, (notice they don't use the title "king"), we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
At this point, what comes to my mind is how easy it was for those three men to look into the face of death and not deny who their one and only true God is. How easy would it be for you and me, if we were faced with certain death, to stand up and say "Yes! I believe in the One True God!"?
I know for a fact that I would. You see, I believe in heaven and hell. I believe that if I trust in God and accept Him as my personal Savior, understanding that He took nails in his hands and feet, a spear through His side, and died, I would have eternal life. I also believe that if I don't accept Him as my Savior, I'd be condemned to the pit of hell - where there will be gnashing of teeth and eternal suffering.
Do you believe?

Until we meet again....