of roasting in the furnace for defaulters. If you don't think that situation was desperate enough I suggest you try your microwave oven.

However, the king was sufficiently shocked when the men preferred to roast in the fire. They said "O 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 save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 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. (Dan 3:16-18 emphasis mine)

Were they in desperate circumstances? Yes they were and nothing could be more dreadful other than heat of hell itself. Did they shift ground and get influenced with paganism of Babylon? No. Their background culture, high spiritual awakening and strong convictions and determination to please God sustained them.

Contemporary Examples

In Africa, we have a culture that prepares the mind of children to accommodate (if need be) and cater for their parents in old age when they may not be able to earn their living again. There is an adage that says The old rabbit is breastfed by her young ones. It is always a shameful thing to see a family where old parents still have to labor to earn a living when they have grown children of working age. Taking one's parent or even an elderly relation to old people's home is not in African culture but I am not condemning those who do that. Because of this, many Africans in Diaspora are in the practice of bringing their growing children back home to live and learn this culture before taking then back so that these children will not disappointment them in the future when they (the parents) are old and need support. This is because such children have no background training in African culture and therefore have not built any set of values in it. The parents in the other hand who grew up in Africa are already acculturated and are not influenced by western culture, at least the ones in question.

We have heard stories of innocent people who were falsely accused and sentenced to spend time in prisons and later came out as criminally minded. Yet some hardened criminals spent time in the same prisons and came out slain in the spirit and determined to live a new life out of prison. It all depends on the inner man.

Final word

The heart of degenerate man is desperately wicked and deceitful. When he becomes born again he gets a new heart from God. This heart, King Solomon counsels, should be guarded with all diligence for out of it comes the issues of life If a man can take these three steps, even if he were to go and spend time in hell itself he would not be badly influenced.

Learn more about this author, Adelani Aderemi.
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