When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not serve the gods of king Nebuchadnezzar nor worship the golden image he had set up, the king told them they would be cast into a burning fiery furnace. "And who is that God," said he, "that shall deliver you out of my hands?" 

    These three Hebrews were very plain and forthright in their reply, that the God they served was able to deliver them from the furnace and that he would deliver them out of the hand of the king, but even if He did not, they would not serve Nebuchadnezzar's gods nor worship the golden image he had set up.

    As all Bible readers know, the faithfulness of the three Hebrews was greatly rewarded and they came through the fire unscathed, while those who cast them into the furnace were consumed in the flames.

    In all ages of time the Lord has reserved unto Himself a complete number of individuals who have not, and will not, bow their knees to the false gods of the world (See I Kings 19:18 & Romans 11:1-5). "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace," says the apostle.

    It is good to know that God has not, and will not, leave Himself without witness, even though in times past He suffered all nations to walk in their own ways (See Acts 14:16-17). Though the vast majority of the world today is still shrouded in spiritual darkness and ignorance the remnant of faithful followers still exists in the world, even though they dwell in relative obscurity in the earth and are not known by the world (See I John 3:1). They are in the world (John 13:1) but they are not of the world (John 15:19).

    What a blessed privilege it is to have such a relationship with the Lord that we are willing to submit to the abuses of a perishing world, and to even give up our natural lives rather than bow down to their false gods. Happy is such a people. May the Lord give us grace to always stand firm in that number.