Do you remember the Biblical account of the three Hebrew young men living in captivity in Babylon?
They stood tall when Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar forced everyone to bow in worship to his idol.
King Nebuchadnezzar commanded every person in his kingdom to bow before the golden image he had made. Refusing to bow meant being thrown alive into a blazing furnace. (Daniel 3)
When the three young men were reported for refusing to bow to the idol, king Nebuchadnezzar offered them a second chance.
“Bow,” he commanded again, “or face the furnace.”
Can you imagine that moment? The pressure. The fear. What would you have done?
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That account is not merely an ancient story, nor is the question a hypothetical one. Every generation is confronted with its own idols—voices that demand allegiance over obedience to God.
This week, Delaware legislators faced one of those moments.
Three legislators who had previously withheld their support for Senate Bill 100—the constitutional amendment that would enshrine the redefinition of marriage in Delaware’s Constitution—were given a second opportunity to vote. Under intense political and cultural pressure, they changed their vote, giving the bill the exact number it needed to pass.
Before we are quick to condemn, we should remember something.
Standing firm is difficult.
Courage is easy to admire from a distance. It is much harder when careers, reputations, relationships, and public criticism are on the line.
That does not change right and wrong. It simply reminds us that the pressure to compromise is real.
From a biblical perspective, this debate about the definition of marriage has never been simply about equal treatment under civil law. It reflects a much deeper conflict over God’s design for humanity, marriage, and the family.
Jesus Himself affirmed that design:
[Jesus] answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
While Nebuchadnezzar offered a second chance to compromise, Scripture reminds us that God also gives second chances—but for repentance and obedience.
This is exactly what Jonah experienced.
Called to deliver God’s message to Nineveh, he ran in the opposite direction. Yet God pursued him, corrected him, and graciously restored him to complete the task.
Failure was not the end of his story. Neither is it the end of ours.
Because Senate Bill 100 is a constitutional amendment, it must pass again by a two-thirds vote during the 2027–2028 General Assembly before becoming part of Delaware’s Constitution.
The story is not finished.
The months ahead matter tremendously. We have the opportunity to continue to stand and further chip away at the lies.
Here are three things every Delawarean should remember:
Courage is costly.
It is one thing to privately believe that protecting the sanctity of life, marriage, family, and religious freedom are foundational to a flourishing society. It is another thing entirely to defend those personal convictions under intense opposition.
Pray for courage – not only for yourself, but also for your elected officials.
Your voice matters.
Legislators often mention the encouragement and even pressure they receive from their constituents on crucial bills.
Your emails, phone calls, and respectful conversations matter more than you may realize. They give legislators confidence that they are not standing alone and remind them that many Delawareans continue to care deeply about these issues.
Prayer and relationships matter.
Activists are in and out of Legislative Hall, very regularly lobbying for the bills they care about. It is imperative that we communicate a different narrative – the truth – with clarity, charity, and courage, and help our legislators to do the same.
Scripture instructs us:
And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.
Finally, prepare now for your own moment of courage.
Maybe your moment will be a conversation with a neighbor, advocating for your child at school, or choosing to follow your conscience in the workplace.
When that moment comes, will you be ready?
This is why we host the Summit each year.
The Summit brings together likeminded from across Delaware to strengthen each other, learn about the issues shaping our state, pray together, and become equipped to stand faithfully when our own opportunities arise.
Register for the Summit here if you haven’t already – we’d love for you to join us.
Throughout history, God’s people have faced pressure to compromise. Our generation is no different.
The courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not come from self-confidence. It came from knowing who God is, trusting His commands, and believing that He remained sovereign regardless of the outcome.
Their response still challenges us today:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
When the opportunity comes for me or you, will we stand, or will we bow?