Artwork © by Judith Costello
These three young men are written about in the Bible (Daniel 3:1-96). They were Jewish but the pagan king changed their names and trained them to work for him. The young men, along with Daniel, kept up the practices of the Hebrews. When the king told them to worship a golden statue, they refused. In a rage, the king had them tied in ropes and thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet, when the king looked inside the young men were standing up and praising God. A fourth figure was also seen in the furnace. As these three walked out of the furnace unharmed, the king praised the one true God.
The young man on the left represents a commitment to Truth….he is saying “No” to idols and “no” to sin. The boy on the right is lifting his hands and singing to God in worship. The boy in the center is dedicated to praying. These three: love of truth, worship of God, and prayerful trust even in the midst of trials, these are qualities of a Saint!
During Lent, we can imagine the fires of hell. When we repent and turn to God with humility and trust, God will protect us and guide us. We turn away from the flames (which are the trials and persecutions in this life) and toward our heavenly home.
The young men in the book of Daniel refused to bow down before the idol built by the pagan king. They said to the king, “We don’t have a defense. We stand firm. God, if He chooses, can save us. But if not, we are confident in the life after death.” And for that they were thrown into the fiery furnace where they praised God!
This is our meditation today from Daniel chapter 3:
“So huge a fire was kindled in the furnace that the flames devoured the men who threw Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it. But these three fell, bound, into the midst of the white-hot furnace. ….the young men prayed… [Then] the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace & drove the fiery flames out of the furnace…”
Visit Judith’s website: http://www.drawingonfaith.weebly.com/. Her artwork is featured at www.flickr.com/photos/faithart/ and on Facebook.
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