There’s a set of Scriptures that I just keep coming back to again and again throughout this journey of grief. Daniel 3 tells the familiar story of when King Nebuchadnezzar gathers everyone together to bow down to the huge golden statue he made. But there were three guys whose integrity as worshippers of the one true living God shone through as the music queued everyone to bow down, and they simply didn’t. Verse 8 says, “But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews.” That seems to be the hilariously formal way of saying that they tattle-taled. Ha!

So the king flew into a rage over what they just “informed on,” and brought the three guys in. Even in his anger, he decided to give the guys one more chance to bow down to the man-made object he was so proud of. Then he reminded them of the consequence if they refused – the blazing furnace. And he tauntingly asked, “And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

That phrase, “But even if he doesn’t…” has really stuck out to me. This is where we get to see the wildness of their devotion to their true King. Their belief wasn’t in whether or not God would do the miraculous on their behalf. They knew that God had done amazing miracles before, and they were convinced He would do it again for them. But even if He didn’t, they simply wouldn’t waiver. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to put their lives on the line declaring the goodness of God.

This is even more powerful to me because of what these guys had been through before this point in their lives. If you remember, they had been taken from their own countries as slaves to serve this king. They, of all people, knew what pain and loss felt like. And still, with great courage, they chose to believe in the goodness of God.

And in the end, the goodness of God is what this angry king experienced as he watched them stand in the heat of the fire and not even be singed by it. In fact, the only things that were burned were the ropes that bound these men. When the heat of the fire had been turned up seven times, God’s goodness entered the fire with them. He never left them alone amidst the blazing flames. He was so moved by their faith, and responded with His nearness.

These guys are some of my greatest heroes. I am really looking forward to meeting them one day. And because I’ve been reminded of them so much recently, I can’t help but wonder if they are among the great cloud of witnesses surrounding me right now. I can imagine them sitting on the edge of their seats wondering how I’m going to respond to this tragedy, and cheering me on as I choose to trust God in the middle of my pain. I hope they think I’m as radical as they are.

And I wonder if they’ve brought Opal into their laps as they eat their popcorn and watch the story of her mommy’s life unfold. Will this mommy be like her heroes who did not give in to the threats of the raging fire? Will her faith remain steadfast in a God who raises the dead though that miracle didn’t happen for her own? Will this mommy’s devotion to her King be as wild as the champions of faith who have gone before her?

To the One who walks with me through this fire of grief, my heart sings its most courageous, “Yes!”

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“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds, each affirming faith’s reality. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.

We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because His heart was filled with the joy of knowing that you would be His, He endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (The Passion Translation)