Depending On God

Our God . . . will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods.

Daniel 3:17–18

I don’t care how strong a Christian you are; peer pressure today is so intense that you cannot cope with it apart from the Lord. If you don’t depend on God with all of your heart, if you don’t ask God to give you the strength you need to stand up and be counted, and if you don’t realize that He is your ally and goes with you every day, you cannot possibly make it through these years without the risk of ruining your life.

Three young men from the book of Daniel (chapter 3)—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—are models for depending upon God when the heat is on. When everyone in Babylon was bowing down to the king’s idol (including, apparently, the rest of the Jewish captives), these three refused. One way to get noticed in a crowd is to remain standing when everyone else is bowing on their knees!

Their dependence was on God alone, and He delivered them. Every person who walks with God must be prepared to depend on Him when the pressure comes to conform.