Background Passage: Daniel 3:1-18; Romans 8:28; Matthew 28:20
Their attitude and hard work earned them more than a few unexpected rewards. From the depths of despair and slavery, they rose through the ranks of service, ultimately gaining significant appointments as administrators in the court of the king. They made it through the worst times to achieve a level of success beyond what they imagined when they were first swept into Babylonian captivity.
Assuming the new names given to them by the king, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, became Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Their story is a familiar one if you grew up in church as a child. The king passed a decree for all the people of the land to bow down and worship a monstrous monument constructed in the likeness of the monarch. Anyone who refused to kneel faced an unpleasant death.
In an act of spiritual and civil disobedience, the three men who placed their faith and trust in the God of Israel refused to bow down. The king’s jealous advisors, whose hatred for the Hebrew men grew more bitter by the day, knew they would not bow. In fact, they counted on it.
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood head and shoulders above the kneeling masses, these advisers were quick to arrest and parade them before the king.
Though the king was not pleased that they ignored the decree, he liked these men. Respected their decency. Approved of their approach to business. He wanted desperately to pardon them, but his hands were somewhat tied. He offered them an out. A way that would save their lives and allow the king to save face. “Just bow down now in the privacy of my throne room with no one else looking and all will be forgiven.”
You know they story. They refused. Ended up tossed into a furnace that was hotter than hot. Yet, God protected them from the flame. The king, realizing the power of the Hebrew God, reversed his ruling and freed the men from their punishment, offering homage to their God.
While somewhat gruesome in concept for a seven-year-old, this was one of my favorite Bible stories as a child. I pictured the three not as men, but as boys just older than me. I pictured an unimaginably hot furnace that melted the skin off anyone who got too close. That kind of gore appeals to a young boy. Yet, the story tells of a mystery man of God walking in the flame protecting the three boys who scarcely broke a sweat. An incredible story of courage and faith equal to Gideon and his fleece. Daniel and his lions. David and his giant.
When I read that story today, I’m captured not by the special effects, but by words these men uttered when the king offered them a second chance to fall on their knees and worship him. They faced their king and their judge, expressing their belief that God could deliver them from the blazing furnace if he chose to do so. Complete and utter understanding that God’s power is capable of anything. Such amazing faith!
However, the next words set them apart from most of us who proclaim faith in God. They said, “Even if he does not…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
“Even if…” Faced with the furnace, they boiled their faith down to these two words, “Even if…” That carries it to the next level, doesn’t it? It is one thing to say, “I’m certain God will deliver” and really believe it. That belief is tested to the extreme when deliverance fails to come. It’s another thing to stare into the flames and say, “Even if he doesn’t, it will not change who I am, what I believe or what I will do.”
How do you respond to these “even if” moments?
God, I know you can heal her of this cancer, but even if…
God, I know you can help me land this job, but even if…
God, I know you can protect me from this hurricane, but even if…
God, I know you can walk me through these horrible circumstances unscathed, but even if…
These “even if” moments can make or break us. Make or break our faith. A loved one passes away and we shake our fists certain God doesn’t care. The job we need to provide for our family goes to someone else and God somehow failed us. Wind and water inundate our homes and we question his love and power. Life takes an expected twist and we wonder why we can’t see his presence.
Confident faith comes relatively easily while we’re standing in the palace talking to the king. Demonstrating a furnace kind of faith when you start feeling the heat, well, that’s another matter entirely. But, God is the God of the “even if…”
The Bible tells us this. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”…even if the outcome is not what we desired. Even if we cannot at that moment feel his presence. Even if it means walking straight into an all-consuming fire. Even if life does not turn out as we thought it would, our faith must remain firmly in the hands of a loving Father for the hope of what life will be once we emerge on the other side.
Take comfort in the promise of Christ. “I will be with you always to the very end of the age.”
I never heard the song before this week. Knowing the unusual and difficult circumstances many of my friends face today, knowing the struggles of those whose homes have been blown apart or wash away, I find the song comforting. I believe God could have calmed the storm, but… Bart Millard, lead singer with MercyMe, wrote this song while dealing with the uncertainty and turmoil of life with a young, diabetic child. “Even If,” reminds us that difficult situations in life sometimes linger without the resolution for which we pray. When it seems we can’t catch a break and no one is listening, God will always be our best and only hope.
The song expresses a powerful message that reminds us of our utter dependence on the Father’s grace. I am particularly drawn to this verse.
“It only takes a little faith to move a mountain.
Well good thing, a little faith is all I have right now.
So, God when you choose to make mountains unmovable.
Give me the strength to be able to sing,
It is well with my soul.
I know you’re able
And I know you can,
Save through the fire
With your mighty hand,
But even if you don’t,
My hope is you alone.”
I don’t know if you’re facing the furnace today. If you’re not there now, you probably have been in the past or you probably will be some time down the road. Know this with all your heart, God is able to do anything we ask of him. But, even if he doesn’t, even if that which we want to avoid falls upon us anyway, God, and God alone, remains our best hope.
Listen to the song and be encouraged. I was.