On Sunday we considered the question, “Who gets to tell you what to think, believe, and do?” Perhaps negative answers come to mind, but this can be considered positively as well. There are many authorities in our lives and of course, as Christians, we believe God has the ultimate say in our lives.

In Daniel 3, we see the authority of the king in conflict with the authority of God. The king’s command carries with it the demand to accept the king’s way of framing reality. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to the king’s framework because the Lord is God and there is no other. The implication of this is that any framework that ignores the Lord fails to account for reality.

In their response, we are pointed to Jesus Christ. We are reminded of how Jesus engaged the cultural authorities of his day but refused to throw stones. Just as he was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, so he is with us in the challenges and backlash we may experience as we seek to live according to the reality of who the Lord is.

Read Daniel 3:14-23

What are some of the authorities in your life?

What are some of the centers of authority in our culture?

How do you relate to these various authorities as a Christian?

How does the reality of “the Lord is God and there is no other” re-frame the way you define reality?

What can we learn from Jesus about engaging and not throwing stones?

Pray for each other to engage in a Christ-like way.