When you look back over your life, where do you notice God was quietly preparing you for something you didn’t yet know was coming?
Lord, prepare me!
Earlier this year, around the end of May, I reached a breaking point.
I had just come through an emotionally brutal couple of months, and I needed help.
So I reached out to an agency that provides support and counseling to pastors, and they connected me with a 40-year veteran pastor, now retired, who serves to mentor other pastors, and let me tell you, our monthly Zoom calls have become a lifeline for me!
Recently, he gave me an assignment: I was to complete a ‘personal timeline tool,’ a kind of visual map of my life story, to help me see how God has been at work over the course of my life.
So I sat down to map out my life with a poster board and some sticky notes, but after about 5 sticky notes, I became so overwhelmed that I froze.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you just felt paralyzed? That’s how I felt; I felt stuck!
And so I procrastinated for a month. And when it came time for our next meeting, I didn’t have my timeline completed. I felt like a failure! I thought, “he’s gonna drop me! He’s gonna think I’m just wasting his time, and he’s gonna drop me as a client!”
Naturally, he did not drop me. He was gracious and said we’d get to it next month. But now I was determined not to let him down a second time; I vowed to complete this sticky-note life map, if it was the last thing I do!
Later that same evening, I checked Canvas. Many of you know I’m currently taking seminary classes, and Canvas is where I view all my assignments. So, I open the module for week 2 of my current “Vocational formation” class, and wouldn’t you know it, one of my assignments for the week was a ‘LIFE MAPPING EXERCISE” where I create a timeline of my life using a poster board and sticky notes!
It was the exact same assignment that my counselor had given me a month ago! The one I had put off! This school assignment came on the same day that I apologized to my counselor for not having it finished! I couldn’t believe it!
It was as if God was saying, “Look, I’ve been preparing you. I told you to make a life map, but you procrastinated, and now time’s up! It’s due at the end of the week!”
So I buckled down and did the assignment… but I did it my way. No poster board. I’m a millennial: I used digital sticky notes! And it looked something like this:
Now, I edited some names and places, but this is the basic idea: It’s my life story in sticky notes.
And as I looked it over, I began to see God’s hand at work - but not just in the individual people and events of my life. No. I began to see a much bigger picture that told the story of a lifetime of formation!
I could see the unique ways in which God had been quietly preparing me for what I couldn’t see coming: All along, preparing me:
• For the work He would have me do
• For the challenges I would face
• For the people I would encounter
My life map told a story of formation and preparation, but more than that, it depicted how God was with me at every turn!
I see Him in the yellows and the purples: the good and the bad. I see Him in the pivotal moments, marked with the letter X. I can see that He was with me EVEN amid my own mistakes! He was forming me and preparing me:
Somebody say, “Lord prepare me!”
Now we’ve been studying the book of Daniel over the past 2 weeks. And the backdrop of the book is exactly this: it’s God’s presence among His people, even amid their own mistakes!
Israel had been unfaithful to God! But God had been merciful. He sent prophets to warn his people not to assimilate into the sinful culture around them. But again and again, Israel disobeyed! And because of their sin, they were conquered by Babylon. Some were slaughtered. Some died by starvation. And those who survived were taken captive.
One of those captives was a priest named Ezekiel. But even while exiled in Babylon, God gave Ezekiel visions of what was coming. Listen to what God tells Ezekiel in Ezekiel 11:16. He says:
Ezekiel 11:16:
6 “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.
Even amid their mistakes, God would still be a sanctuary for his people. He promised to be with them. And this is important, because as we dig into Daniel 3 today, we’re going to see this prophecy come to life!
So turn with me to Daniel chapter 3, And as you’re turning there, I want to take us back to this idea of a life map: how God shapes us and forms us over a lifetime, preparing us for what we can’t see coming.
If Daniel and his 3 friends had a life map, it would tell the story of how God had been at work in their lives, quietly preparing them for what they couldn’t see coming:
For the work He would have them do
For the challenges they would face
For the people they would encounter
Daniel’s journey didn’t begin in a Lion’s Den.
And Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah - better known as Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego- their story didn’t start with the fiery furnace.
No. God had been preparing them.
Somebody say, “Lord, prepare me!”
In chapters 1 and 2, we saw how God had already been at work in their lives.
Chapter 1 indicates that Daniel and his 3 friends were taken captive in the 3rd year of King Jehoiakim’s reign. That gives us a timeline that tells us a few things:
1. One generation earlier, King Josiah launched a sweeping religious reform, a purge, that would reestablish Israel’s loyalty to Yahweh. Josiah is remembered as the last righteous King of Judah, before the nation was carried off to Babylon.
Under Josiah’s leadership, the idols of pagan gods that had so corrupted the Kingdom of Judah were eradicated! Undefiled worship of Yahweh was restored to the temple in Jerusalem, and Daniel and his 3 friends were born in this era of spiritual revival!
This means they would’ve been educated from an early age to observe the 10 commandments:
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
etc…
They understood the strict dietary laws of their faith: that they weren’t to eat or drink anything that had been sacrificed to an idol.
And from what we can tell, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah took these words to heart!
And yet, in their lifetime, they saw good King Josiah die, and his wicked son Jehoiakim take his place!
Jehoiakim:
● quickly reversed his father’s policies,
● brought pagan idol worship back to the temple,
● and even swore allegiance to the enemy: Babylon!
In short order, the whole kingdom fell apart, and Daniel and his friends were carried off as prized captives of evil King Nebuchadnezzar.
Idolatry, Israel’s insatiable lust for other gods, had torn their lives apart! Daniel and his 3 friends knew the cost of worshiping anything other than Yahweh! And yet, despite all this, God was with Daniel and his friends. He uniquely gifted them with knowledge and good judgment.
Because of their giftedness, they were chosen for a 3-year training program, in which they would learn the language and literature of Babylon, in preparation for service in the King’s court.
During this training program, they faced their first major test: would they defile themselves with the king's food and drink, all of which had been sacrificed to idols? Or would they remain faithful to their God?
Well, you know the story: they stayed true to their convictions, and God honored their faithfulness! They excelled above their counterparts! Chapter 1:20 says that they were “TEN TIMES MORE CAPABLE” than any of the magicians and enchanters in the kingdom!
If Daniel and his buddies had a life map at this stage in their lives, it would look like this:
God had been quietly preparing them for what they couldn’t see coming.
Last week, Rev. Dr. Keys taught from Daniel chapter 2: all about King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and how none of the servants he summoned could give him its meaning.
But God was with Daniel. Giving him favor. He had already prepared Daniel with 3 important gifts:
1. The gift of knowledge and good judgment
2. The gift of interpreting dreams.
3. The gift of 3 praying friends!
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah knew how to seek God! They were people of prayer! And God came through for them! He gave Daniel the ability to interpret the King’s dream! Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar:
You dreamed of a huge statue with a golden head! And then a rock was cut from the side of a mountain, and it smashed the statue to pieces!
This is what it means: the gold head is YOU, King Nebuchadnezzar! You are the greatest of Kings! The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor… You are the head of gold… but…
The rest of the statue represents the inferior kingdoms that will come after you. During the reign of those kings, God will set up a kingdom that will crush all other kingdoms! A kingdom that will last forever!
And for whatever reason, King Nebuchadnezzar took this as GREAT NEWS! It’s like he didn’t hear the whole “your kingdom is going to end” part. He only heard what he wanted to hear! The part about how he was the greatest of Kings! The head of gold!
In fact, he’s so thrilled that he promotes Daniel and his 3 friends on the spot!
And this is extremely important, because it’s this promotion that sets up their greatest test, the test Daniel’s friends are most famous for: the test of the fiery furnace! If they had a life map, at this point in their lives, it would look like this:
The plot thickens. We’re beginning to see how God had been preparing these young men, all their lives, for the challenges they would face! And today, in Daniel chapter 3, we’ll read all about the greatest test in the lives of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Now, stay with me! I hope you have a Bible in front of you because we’re going to read the whole chapter, all the way through! And I’m not going to put it on the screen because there’s a railing that blocks your view. So please read along with me! Daniel chapter 3 starting at verse 1:
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials[b] came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
A quick word about this gold statue: according to this description, it would’ve been roughly the same size as the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Also, we have to remember that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had just been promoted to oversight positions within the province, and the king just summoned all the provincial officials to come and worship this golden statue! They had no choice but to be there!
Now, we don’t know where Daniel is in this story. Chapter 2 ends by telling us that Daniel sat in the gate of the king, which is another way of saying he was at the king’s beck and call. Which means he might have been out on other official duty that day; we don’t know, but for whatever reason, he doesn’t appear in this story. This one focuses on his 3 friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!
Verse 4:
4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,[c] bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
A word about this furnace: executing people by fire is just something this wicked King Nebuchadnezzar did! Last week, Milton referenced Jeremiah 29, the famous passage where God says, “I know the plans I have for you… Plans to prosper you… To give you a future and a hope.”
Well, a few verses later, in that same chapter, He tells the prophet Jeremiah:
21 This is what the Lord… says about your prophets—Ahab… and Zedekiah… —who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’
Burning people alive is just something Babylon did! They were wicked! Wicked AND famous for their brickmaking. The furnace was likely for firing bricks and would’ve been more than big enough to fit 3 people!
This is a photo from 1932 of a working furnace in modern-day Iraq, where ancient Babylon once stood. The technology is pretty much the same. There was a large hole at the top where materials—or criminals— could be lowered in, and a door at the bottom where the finished materials could be retrieved.
Continuing on in verse 7:
7 So at the sound of the musical instruments,[d] all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 But some of the astrologers[e] went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Remember, in chapter 1, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego outshone their fellow students! They were “ten times more capable” than anybody else! And in chapter 2, they were promoted! These foreigners! You can hear the disdain in the astrologers’ voice! Which, by the way, the word “astrologers” in the original Aramaic text is “Chaldeans.” These accusers were homegrown Babylonians who had been passed over in favor of these 3 Jews. And they’re angry about it! So they find a way to undermine them by appealing to King Nebuchadnezzar’s vanity: “They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty.”
Verse 13:
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.[f] But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
What happens next is the defining moment in the story. Their whole life had been training them for this moment. How would they respond with the furnace blazing in the background?
Verse 16:
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 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. 18 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.”
Even if he doesn’t. Somebody say, “Lord, prepare me!” Verse 19:
19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.
Another day, another execution! This was life in Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar!
But he didn’t know.
He didn’t know that with God, all things are possible!
He didn’t know that in the upside-down Kingdom of God, death is not the end; it’s the gateway to life!
He didn’t know the word of the Lord, spoken through the prophet Ezekiel who proclaimed:
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.
He didn’t know the words of the psalmist David, who wrote:
…In the time of trouble He shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret place of his tabernacle; he shall hide me!
He didn’t know! But suddenly! Verse 24 says:
24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.
25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a [son of a] god[g]!”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
Isaiah 43 says: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you! I have called you by your name; You are mine!
…When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you! For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior!
Verse 28
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
If these young men had a life map:
It would tell the story of how their God protected them, provided for them, and prepared them for what they would face. Amid so much uncertainty, God was there. Always with them, even in the fire! I like how Alistair Begg put it! He said:
“God doesn’t deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire. He delivers them in the fire!” - Alistair Begg
Listen to me: God didn’t make their lives easy! They were taken captive by a foreign nation, forced to serve in the court of a murderous madman, and thrown into the fire!
But God was with them to deliver them IN THE FIRE!
Looking back over my life, God didn’t make my life easy! But he was with me to deliver me IN THE FIRE!
Right there in the middle of my map, I faced one of the biggest challenges of my life. In many ways, it felt like a furnace; my whole life was on fire! But God was with me, even amid my own mistakes. And He knew where He was taking me, even if I didn’t!
And just like Daniel, I had 3 friends. Three praying friends who carried me through that fire. I thank God for them!
I don’t know what your life looks like right now, or what it may look like down the road, but I can tell you, there is a God who is with you! A creator, a potter, who has already been at work, shaping and forming you to be the person He created you to be! And as long as you still have breath in your lungs, he’s not finished with you yet!
Turn to your neighbor and say, “He’s not finished with you yet!”
Ask yourself, or better yet, ask God, why he brought you to hear today, to hear this message! What is He saying to you?
Is He telling you to remain faithful, like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego? Is He imploring you not to bow to the empire? Not to conform to the world’s ways, or worship what they worship, or surrender to their lifeless gods?
Who are the gods our world worships in 2026? The same gods humanity has always worshiped:
Pride. Greed. Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Anger.
So many people are worshiping at the altar of anger! It’s a trap! The world’s system is designed to make us angry! Because when we’re angry, we're vulnerable; and when we’re vulnerable, we react; and when we react, they’ve got us where they want us! Cosigning the madness!
Others are worshiping at the altar of indolence. You know what indolence is? It means you just don’t care anymore. You’re disengaged. Maybe that’s you. Maybe the wickedness of this world is so overwhelming, you’ve just resigned yourself to do what Milton said last week: just hunker down and hide in your Christian bubble.
But those of us who follow Christ are called to go! To engage! To be salt and light! To reflect Christ’s love and to bring His kingdom justice to bear on this earth! To influence the people around us by behaving differently than the people around us! We don’t bow before the gods of this world! We don’t co-sign the madness, and we don’t resign ourselves because of it! We engage our world with the love, the light, and the hope of Jesus Christ!
Maybe, He’s calling you to be brave. Maybe you needed a reminder that he is with you in the fire!
Or maybe you needed a reminder that God is not finished with you yet! That He is still shaping and forming you! You are God’s handiwork, says Ephesians 2:10, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do!
Lord, prepare me! Let me see the ways in which you have uniquely formed and shaped who I am. You are my confidence, Lord! You are the potter, and I am the clay! Today, I surrender to your careful hand. Even your trial by fire!
Job said, “[God knows] where I am going! And when He tests me, I will come out as pure gold!”
So, let it be so! I want to have the kind of faith that says “I know my God is able to deliver, but even if He doesn’t, I still won’t bow to the powers of this world! I still won’t conform to the pattern of this world! Because my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God (Acts 20:24). Lord, prepare me! Somebody look at your neighbor and say He’s not done with you yet!