In Daniel chapter number three, we read the story of Nebuchadnezzar making the decree throughout the kingdom that everyone at the sound of the instruments was to bow down. Now, of course, we know Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not bow down, and they would be cast into the fiery furnace.

But I want us to see this morning, in verse number 20 of Daniel chapter three, Nebuchadnezzar commanded—get this—the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If we go down to verse number 22, we read this: “Therefore, because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”

Because of his anger, because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar makes a hasty decision, and he grabs his most mighty men and says, “Bind them and throw them in the furnace.” A decision made in haste and in anger, but we see that those men, those mighty men, were taken out, and that day Nebuchadnezzar lost his most mighty men because of his pride and because of his urgency to respond to a matter.

That just goes to show us that we have nothing to gain from our return in anger, but yet we have so much to lose when we fly off the handle and we respond so quickly. So I challenge each and every one of us today to show some longsuffering and some patience as Christ would with us, and let’s have that towards others today.

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Emory Fuller, GSBC Activities Director

Emory Fuller is a faculty member for Golden State Baptist College, heading up all of the activities and much of the intramural sports. His wife, Jein, serves alongside him in the church Media Department.