Squad Goals

Jun 10, 2023

Ok, so if you’re already laughing at my devotional title, awesome. And if you’re lost and have no idea what “squad goals” means, no worries, let me explain…

But first!

This past week, I’ve been reading through the book of Daniel. It’s been great refreshing my memory of so many familiar stories. From Daniel challenging the King’s officials to let him eat only clean foods, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which Daniel ultimately interprets. And then, of course, probably the most well-known story of Daniel and the lions’ den.

If you grew up in Sunday School, you may even begin to hum a tune about this prominent Bible story. Go ahead and sing, I’ll wait…

Ok, back to the title of this devotional - squad goals.

What stood out to me this time as I read these familiar verses was a story before Daniel gets thrown in the den. It’s a story about Daniel’s friends – a.k.a. his squad. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? (Some of the best names to repeat over and over by the way, haha.)

Well, their story goes like this:

King Nebuchadnezzar has a big idol made out of gold and makes a law that all people have to worship it. As you may know, or could guess, these three guys won’t bow down to anyone but the one true God, so the King furiously has them thrown in a “blazing furnace.” (Daniel 3:20)

Of course, God displays His power in a HUGE way by sending an angel to protect them and we read in Daniel 3:27 that:

“... the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”

- Daniel 3:27

Now, I could go on and on about the way God doesn’t just make Himself known here, but goes above and beyond to ensure that His people, who professed their absolute faith in Him, don’t even smell of the fire they were just thrown into. I mean, come on, right?! I love God’s detail here.

But what I love even more are the three characters that I consider Daniel’s squad, his closest friends. All of us know the name Daniel (I mean, he got a whole book of the Bible named after him), but not all of us give enough credit to his buddies, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They were also fervent followers of God, loyal to death, and right up in the mix with Daniel in Babylon.

They fasted with Daniel (Daniel 1:12), gained “knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature & learning” together (Daniel 1:17), and were there to counsel their friend when he was navigating a serious situation with the King (Daniel 2:17). They were right there, supporting the main character of the story the entire time.

Now, if that’s not the definition of squad goals, I don’t know what is!

It makes me think about what company I’m keeping. And, what kind of friend I’m being. Am I surrounding myself with people who are striving to reflect God’s image? Am I supporting my own squad to the best of my ability as they navigate the good, bad, and ugly in life?

As the saying goes, we’re better together. So, stop and evaluate today.

Who are you doing life alongside just like Daniel and his squad? And are you, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, doing the best you can to support, uplift, and reflect God’s image as you navigate life’s fiery furnaces one day at a time?