“EVEN IF… I WILL NOT BOW”
A young man lay on his sickbed, nearing the end of his life. With what little strength he had left, he asked his father for a pen and paper. His hand trembled as he wrote—his letters unsteady, like that of a child just learning to write. Yet the message he left behind was powerful: “JESUS IS REAL.” Moments later, he passed away with a smile on his face. His father testified that the entire room was suddenly filled with an indescribable light. This story brings to mind the three young Hebrew men in Scripture—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1–30). When commanded to bow before the king’s image, they refused. Their response in Daniel 3:16–18 remains a profound declaration of faith: “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 that we will never serve your gods ...