Let Your Walk Talk

“Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks more than your talk talks.”

- My grandfather, Dan Ingold

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

- Daniel 3:16-18

The Babylonian King desired to assimilate the young Jewish men, the best of the best, into Babylonian culture. He had a golden image of himself created and demanded that everyone bow down to it. Rather than argue with the king, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego simply let the practice of their faith speak for them. They continued to bow down to Yahweh (God), and they refused to bow down to the golden image of the king.

As a result, they were thrown into the fiery furnace to be burned alive. But, if you grew up in the church, and especially if you grew up in the Bible Belt where Southern Gospel music reigned supreme, you know from the words of The Statler Brothers song, “The Fourth Man”...

Here is a story from the Good Book we know

A story 'bout a miracle that happened long ago

We hope that you'll take courage when temptation you meet

There's somebody watchin' you who's strong when you're weak.

They wouldn't bend

They held onto the will of God so we are told

They wouldn't bow

They would not bow their knees to the idol made of gold

They wouldn't burn

They were protected by the fourth man in the fire

They wouldn't bend, they wouldn't bow

They wouldn't burn.

The song goes on to record what could have been the words of King Nebuchadnezzar...

Did we not cast three men bound into the midst a' that fire?

For lo, I see four men unhurt, unbound and walkin' down there

There's Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the fiery coals they trod

And the form of the fourth man that I see is like the Son of God.

Rather than arguing with people and trying to shove Jesus down their throats, let’s put our beliefs into practice, live out our faith, knowing that Jesus will be right there with us.

We, too, need not bend or bow, for we will not burn. Let’s let our walk talk.

Pastor Ken

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