Read Daniel 3:13-23. Glance back at your notes from the session and record a new insight you received specifically pertaining to this segment of Scripture.
“Beth’s three scenarios makes sense, but so does her point that these men probably never even considered the possibility of the middle one – the one that occurred.”
Look at the response of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in verse 16. Paraphrase their words to the king.
“Nebby, if it becomes a choice of obeying you or God, God wins hands-down – no contest.”
List everything you learn about integrity from 1 Chronicles 29:17.
“God tests the heart to find it. He is pleased to find it.”
‘Oh Lord, God, of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts “loyal” to you.’
Based on your own understanding, how would you define loyalty?
“faithfully following and supporting regardless of the circumstances”
Your definition may correspond with a part of the definition of the original Hebrew word. Give it close consideration: to be firm, be established, be steadfast, be faithful, be sure, be reliable, be fixed, be certain; to be ready, be prepared; to be determined… Signifies initial preparation or formation, actual preparation for a future event (“like Minute Men (?)”)
It’s something we already were that surfaces in the test.
What other question have you answered before circumstance poses it?
“Years ago – virginity until marriage, no smoking, no drugs, no excessive alcohol”
Have you predetermined your loyalty to Christ?
“I know I would never be a Judas, but I can’t guarantee. I will never slip and be a Peter – I probably have a few times.”
…describe several ways the Evil One could take advantage of us if we haven’t resolved the issue of our loyalty to God
“We could hear an off-color joke and laugh or not protest, we could not react to hearing our Lord’s name used in vain, we could not speak up when we hear Christianity being mocked, etc.”
Can you think of a way the enemy continues to threaten you personally because he is not yet convinced of your resolve? “yes”
That’s the loyalty of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Lord, make it ours. 
Dearest Rachel –
It’s funny to see how – when even at this point, Daniel had long since stopped watching VeggieTales – it’s influence on you still clung at this point in your putting words in the mouths of the three Hebrew children (as I’ve heard them referred to as). I’m sure even you would know they wouldn’t address the king by such an insolent-sounding nickname, but your exposure to the bumbling plutocrat Nebbie K. Nezzar left a rather indelible impression, didn’t he?
That having been said, you’re quite right about our own reactions to such offenses against God; we generally err far more on the side of caution, rather than insolence. We are so much more like Peter than these three boys – and we don’t even have so much at stake! Then again, it could be pointed out that not every word we overhear is a fight worth getting ourselves involved in, and sometimes, stridency tend to be offputting to those who do not wish for us to intervene in their “fun.”
For that matter, your remark about off-color humor hits a little close to home; we would enjoy it quite frequently between ourselves, after all. I’m honestly not sure where the line is to be drawn on that particular subject – although I suppose that pushing the envelope between what is and isn’t acceptable isn’t something we ought to be doing, in any event.
Along those lines, though, I notice that your list of pre-planned decisions, while including several hard-and-fast “no”s also throws in a qualifier on the last item; no excessive alcohol. To be sure, even Paul recommended “a little wine” for Timothy’s stomach ailment (whatever it may have been), and of course, Jesus and the disciples shared wine at His last supper (and probably many meals previous, including the wedding at which He performed His first miracle). Meanwhile, there are so many proverbs that have nothing good to say about the stuff and those who use it. So I guess the ambivalence to it comes fairly naturally, given scripture’s task on the subject.
On an unrelated note, I somehow think that your “yes” on the matter of your lack of resolve on some unnamed issue or other that you thought could give Satan a foothold could have used some further elaboration. I wish I knew what you had in mind here, but it’s too late to ask for further details now (Then again, I may have just discussed some possible items earlier; I just don’t have any direct confirmation from your pen on here).
Anyway, rather than racking my brain any further on something that can’t be definitively resolved, I’m just going to put this out here for others to look over your shoulder and draw their own conclusions.
Letters to Rachel 