I Know Who I Am (part Two)

I Don’t Care What You Call Me

I Don’t Care What You Say About Me

I Know Who I Am

(Special Edition, Part 2)

By J. Regina Blackwell

Daniel 1: 6-17; 3:1-18

Nebuchadnezzar tried to indoctrinate these boys –they were BOYS, y’all—physically, psychologically, and nutritionally. The king cut off their generation and separated them from their people. They were cut off from their physicality, their food, and their culture, but they were not cut off from God. They did not forget who they were. They did not forget who they were. So when the king commanded that they worship other gods, they refused.

J. Regina Blackwell

Listen. Listen.

The God Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah knew had allowed heathens to destroy Israel. God had allowed heathens to castrate and starve them. God had allowed heathens to change their names. GOD allowed it. But Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did not turn away from God. Given the opportunity to betray the God they knew for a new god, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah said, “God may deliver us from the fiery furnace. You know, that’s really up to Him. But we will worship no other god.” Those boys could have despaired of their faith. They could have felt deserted or betrayed by their Lord. But, face to face with the sovereignty of the one true God, they said, “It’s up to Him what happens to us, BUT WE ARE NOT CAREFUL TO ANSWER THEE IN THIS MATTER, O KING. EVEN IF OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE DOES NOT DELIVER US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE, BE IT KNOWN TO THEE, O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE THY GODS NOR WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE WHICH THOU HAS SET UP.”

“I Don’t Care What You Call Me; I Don’t Care What You Say About Me; I Know Who I Am.”

“I Don’t Care What You Call Me; I Don’t Care What You Say About Me; I Know Who I Am.”

“I Don’t Care What You Call Me; I Don’t Care What You Say About Me; I Know Who I Am.”

Y’all know the story. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were thrown, bound, into the fiery furnace, heated up one seven times hotter than usual. And when the king looked, over the dead bodies of the men who had thrown those boys into that furnace, he saw Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Unbound.

Upright.

Alive.

Walkin with some Fourth Man –who looked like the Son of God.

Babies. Listen. Listen.

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Who had their country stolen from them. Who had their names stolen from them. Who had their manhood stolen from them. They converted the king of the entirety of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar said, “I’m gon serve THIS god. And so are all of you. Because there is no other god who can deliver after this sort.”

No other god can save like this. No other god can deliver like this. No other god can keep you like this. No other god can help you remember who you are –because of who He is. I know who I am.

I am the one to whom the Lord God has been gracious.

I am the one who knows there is no one like my God.

I am the one whom God has helped.

“I Don’t Care What You Call Me; I Don’t Care What You Say About Me; I Know Who I Am.”