Loyalty to Jehovah Brings Rewards – The account of the three Hebrews can strengthen our determination to be loyal to Jehovah! ?????

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"They would not . . . worship any god at all except their own God."—Dan. 3:28.

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Loyalty to Jehovah Brings Rewards

The account of the three Hebrews can strengthen our determination to be loyal to Jehovah

In the seventh century B.C.E., three Hebrew servants of Jehovah were given clear evidence that God rewards faith and courage. King Nebuchadnezzar assembled Babylon’s dignitaries and demanded that they worship a towering image of gold. Any who would not do so were to die in a fiery furnace. The three Hebrews respectfully told Nebuchadnezzar: “Our God whom we are serving is able to rescue us. Out of the burning fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king, he will rescue us. But if not, let it become known to you, O king, that your gods are not the ones we are serving, and the image of gold that you have set up we will not worship.” (Dan. 3:16-18) The thrilling rescue of the three Hebrews is vividly described at Daniel 3:19-30. Although we are not likely to be threatened with death in a fiery furnace, we do face tests of integrity and can be sure that God will bless us for our faith and courage.

According to Daniel chapter 6, how did Daniel act courageously, and with what result?

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Daniel showed faith and courage when his enemies prevailed upon King Darius to issue a decree that “whoever makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days except to you, O king, should be thrown to the lions’ pit.” As soon as Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he “entered into his house, and, the windows in his roof chamber being open for him toward Jerusalem, even three times in a day he was kneeling on his knees and praying and offering praise before his God, as he had been regularly doing prior to this.” (Dan. 6:6-10) Courageous Daniel ended up in a lions’ pit—but Jehovah delivered him.—Dan. 6:16-23.

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Like Jesus, early Christians courageously rendered worship only to Jehovah. (Matt. 4:8-10) They refused to burn incense in honor of the Roman emperor. (See picture.) “Very few of the Christians recanted,” wrote Daniel P. Mannix, “although an altar with a fire burning on it was generally kept in the arena for their convenience. All a prisoner had to do was scatter a pinch of incense on the flame and he was given a Certificate of Sacrifice and turned free. It was also carefully explained to him that he was not worshiping the emperor; merely acknowledging the divine character of the emperor as head of the Roman state. Still, almost no Christians availed themselves of the chance to escape.”—Those About to Die.

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Modern Christians held in Nazi concentration camps with possible death facing them were given repeated opportunities to gain their freedom by signing a declaration renouncing Jehovah. But few signed. Risking death during a genocide in Rwanda in recent times, Tutsi and Hutu Witnesses protected one another. Such trials call for courage and faith.

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We are now privileged to share in the greatest work ever entrusted to God’s human servants—that of declaring the Kingdom message and making disciples. (Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20) How grateful we are for Jesus’ matchless example! He “went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1) 

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Like him, we need faith and courage in order to preach the Kingdom message. With God’s help, we can be like courageous Noah, an intrepid “preacher of righteousness” to “a world of ungodly people” about to perish in a global deluge.—2 Pet. 2:4, 5.

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Prayer helps us to carry out the preaching work. When certain persecuted followers of Christ prayed that they might ‘speak God’s word with boldness,’ that plea was answered. (Read Acts 4:29-31.) If you are somewhat timid about preaching from house to house, Jehovah will answer your prayers for greater faith and courage.—Read Psalm 66:19, 20.*

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2013043