Abide and Shine

Third Day - Never Bow Down

From the words I will never bow down to the words the child of God will faithfully stand tall it is clear that the message of this song is one of an uncompromising faith. Based off of the story of three young men found in Daniel Chapter 3:1-30, this song illustrates a refusal to be persuaded to set aside faith and give in to the pressures of society and the temptations of the flesh. In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fiery furnace these young friends of the prophet Daniel prove that their faith is more than just talk or show when they refuse to bow down and pay homage (worship) to the grand golden statue the king of Babylon has made of himself. This enrages the king and as a result he throws them in his fiery furnace. Yet, before he does this the three men make a most interesting statement:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

- Daniel 3:16-18

It is within this statement that we find both the heart of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and it is also here the heart of this song by Third Day is revealed: No matter what, whether God delivers us or not we will not bow down! Wow, what faith, what commitment, what integrity and what bravery! With no guarantees, knowing that their God (our God) was the only true and living God they stood firm and refused to bow down, yet we often lie down without a fight. Often just the picking of our friends or the influences of society cause us to lay aside our convictions and surrender our wills to the worship of something other than God.

The Bible tells us that we are slaves to the ones we obey (Romans 6:16) and that we can not serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and those of us who have failed (and we all have) know that what we give our time and attention to is what we really worship. In other words where our hearts are is where our treasure is. God should be our treasure. Jesus should be our only reward. We should be more than willing to give up everything else to have Christ as our all in all; our only possession. In Him we have the highest thing, the greatest treasure purely, legitimately, and eternally.

Yet, moment by moment and day by day we lay such a treasure aside for the cheap thrills and comforts of life but not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego no they knew the treasure they had in God and they held onto it for all it was worth. God has determined that our faith will be tried (1 Peter 1:3-9). Shadrach’s, Meshach’s, and Abednego’s was and so will ours. I pray the Lord will cause us to do the same as they did. May we trust Him to help us have such faith – clinging to Him for all He is worth. So now you know what you are singing about when you sing “Never Bow Down.”