Daniel 3:13-27
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual
20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.
21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,
27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw 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.

Friendship makes life enjoyable & helps us in our difficult times. Friendships are tested & strengthened by hardships. Such was the relationship between 3 young Jewish men; Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. They help us think about the real meaning of friendships.

As much as these friends meant to each other they never allow their friendships to disturb God's plan for their lives not even in the face of death.

We can see in the above passage that they were tested by Nebuchadnezzar to defile their God. Their friendship was tested. Imagine this situation, what they would have communicated to each other at this point of time??

A small compromise would have allowed them to live longer & enjoy their lives in the foreign land. But they were wise enough to see that their compromise would have affected their conviction that bonded them so closely – The conviction is their faithfulness to God.

When we take away God from our friendships, we tend to expect those relationships to meet our needs in us that only God can meet. Friends are helpful but they cannot meet our deepest spiritual needs. Leaving God out of our friendships indicates how unimportant he really in our own lives.

These 3 people shared a very Good friendship that stood the test of Hardship, success, wealth & possible death. There is a great strength in real friendships. It is very important to stand with our friends who share our same convictions.

Challenge
1. Is faithfulness to God more important than your friendships?
2. Who is your Shadrach? Who is your Meshach? Who is your Abednego?