There comes a time, perhaps many times in life, when our faith is challenged and the religious path that we have chosen is questioned by unbelievers. Sometimes this line of questioning leads to social pressures that can lead a once faithful person to question their own beliefs and leave their covenant path.
After teaching a sermon that was difficult to understand, Jesus saw that many of his disciples left “and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?”
There are some good examples in the Bible of faithful servants of God who stayed the course and held to their beliefs during challenging times. Some of my favorites are Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. They refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.
The king commanded that whenever music sounded throughout his kingdom, everyone was to drop to their knees and worship the golden image.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, being faithful servants of their God, refused to worship the golden image and when they were caught, they said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter…If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
This infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar and he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. It was so hot that the king’s mightiest men who were assigned the task of pushing Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego into the flames were consumed by the fire.
The king then looked in the furnace and said, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. …Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.”
It was said by all who witnessed this event that there was “not an hair of their head singed…Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.” (Daniel 3:25-28)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego demonstrated great faith and commitment to their God and were unwavering in their faith, even when they were given the choice to comply with their king’s decree or face death. It would have been so easy for them to simply give in to the king’s decree and fall in line with everyone else.
Instead, they chose to suffer the consequences of defying their king, rather than offending their God by worshiping the golden idol.
What did these servants of God know, and how did this knowledge give them strength and courage to stand firm in their faith? I believe they knew that God is eternal and that this life is short compared to eternal life with Him. They knew of God’s plan of redemption and that salvation comes to those who stay true to their faith and obey God’s commandments, rather than caving to the idolatry of humankind.
Staying the course and keeping our faith means that we don’t walk away from our beliefs, even when remaining faithful is difficult and unpopular. To those who were once faithful and beginning to doubt, I simply suggest that you doubt your doubts first.
I quote Peter’s words when Jesus asked his apostles, “Will ye also go away?…Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6)
Loren B. Dickson is the Morgan Hill Stake President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance of South County. He can be reached at Lo***********@***il.com.
