Today in the Book of Daniel, we hear the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. They are Jewish young people held captive in Babylon and were told to worship the golden statue of the king. Yet they refuse. So the king throws them into a superheated furnace. They would rather die than worship an idol.

What is an idol? It is a figure depicting a false god. More profoundly, an idol is something we place above God in our hearts. It may be a particular relationship, behaviour or attitude. An idol competes with God to be the number one priority of our life.

Idols are empty. They have no power to lead us to perfection and could not satisfy our deepest needs. Only God can fulfil us completely.

The three young people offer a sacrifice to God. Their sacrifice is to follow God whole-heartedly (Dan. 3:40), which is the opposite of idol worship.

Is there an idol in my life? Is there something that competes with God to be the centre of my life? If so, what is the basis of it, what do I hope the idol to give me - security, peace, healing, love?

These values are all good, but what would it belike to ask Jesus for these?