But if not...

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three young men who totally understood what it meant to have faith in and trust God. In the book of Daniel these three young men had to make a decision that could have led to a very painful end to their lives. They came to a crossroad of either trusting in the One true God or just bowing down, not only to pressure but to a false god. In Daniel 3:15, King Nebuchadnezzar says, "...if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if not you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

They never even blinked an eye when the edict was given to all in Babylon to bow down and worship the "image." They continued to serve and pray to God. So when confronted with the choice of either bowing down to the image or burning in the furnace, they were able to stand firm and say to King Nebuchadnezzar: "...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 you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18 Emphasis mine) "But even if he does not." Wow! I don't think you or I will have to make this decision of bowing down to a false god or being burned alive in a blazing furnace, but we are confronted with many other decisions that will have extreme consequences.

In our prayer life, are we able to, in faith and trust, lift our prayers and our requests to the Lord, and believe that He is able to do what we ask for. BUT, if He doesn't answer our prayer to "save" us or our loved ones (whatever the situation), can we, will we, trust God in the midst of the "blazing furnace" anyway? That certainly does require thought. But even more than that, it requires prayer. It requires that we earnestly seek God daily and learn of Him and His promises through His love letter to us, the Bible. Trusting God this deeply doesn't come by with superficial faith or one hour a week in church.

What are you facing today? What is your "blazing furnace?" Is there something you have been praying about? Is there some test result you're waiting for? Is there someone you need to forgive? I could continue asking questions but I think you get the idea. In your prayer can you say to the Lord "but if not," I will still trust you, Lord? It is a question I have to ask myself as well. But there is no other choice than to trust in the only One who is trustworthy in all our trials. What happened to those three young men? Why don't you check it out for yourself?

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 37 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and one granddaughter! She serves at America's Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

DIGGING DEEPER
Isaiah 40
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
And young men shall fall exhausted;
But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles;
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.