TODAY IN THE WORD
The statement of A.W. Tozer we referred to yesterday is a great illustration of the point we have been making this month: theology matters. You will also see how much it matters each month this year through the column we are introducing in this issue of Today in the Word.

Tozer said the most important thing we could know about him was what he believed about God. There are some other remarkable people about whom the same thing could be said. We want to study a few of them today and tomorrow. If you read today's Scripture passage, you already know three of these friends.

You have to admit that people who are willing to stake their lives on their theology are pretty serious about it. That was the case for the three young Hebrew men in Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made a courageous, principled stand against King Nebuchadnezzar's order to bow to his golden statue.

At the heart of their commitment was their view of God. These young men, taken as captives from Israel to Babylon, took with them their knowledge of God's commands. From their very first days of captivity in this pagan country, these three and their pal Daniel decided that the most important thing they could do was obey God.

Actually, the Hebrew captives seemed to have made the same decision as Daniel to put their lives on the line for God long before the fiery furnace or the lions' den (compare 1:8-14 with 3:12). Daniel 1:1-16 may not sound as threatening, but these four men were making a dangerous decision. Had things gone wrong, they along with their Babylonian overseer may have lost their heads.

God honored their decision (Dan. 1:17), and now the three Hebrew young men became officials in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. They served him, but they worshipped God and God alone.

This is what we need to remember. Verse 18 of today's reading records an unconditional commitment to the God these Israelites worshipped. They didn't try to make any deals. They believed God was worthy of their allegiance, regardless of what might happen to them.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever tried to make a deal with God?

Most of us would be uncomfortable to admit it, but we often live our Christian lives by some unspoken assumptions: if we do this, God will do that. If we make certain decisions, they will produce certain results. God's Word does contain many promises, but they are not boxes into which we can stuff God. God has the freedom to work in our lives according to His plan and timetable. Maybe you need a Daniel 3 kind of commitment in some area of your life. Talk to the Lord about it today.

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