But even if He does not.
Three men stood before a self centered and evil king. Their sentence was death. To be burnt alive because they would not bow down to his statue and worship it.
It’s hard to imagine the kind of terror that would enter your soul or how anyone in this situation could articulate two words together.
But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago do it.
“King 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 deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18
I have never found myself in this kind of life and death situation before, but I do find myself hearing the enemy whispering threats or trying to sow fear into my heart.
Right now this looks like planting doubts over whether I have what it takes to make it through the rest of this pregnancy, whether God will show up for me again in labour, or if we can really manage to raise and educate six children.
But there are many other scare tactics from the enemy too. Sometimes it’s our health or the health of a family member. It could be a child that deep down in our heart we aren’t sure if they’re going to be ok.
God is able to deliver us. Just like those brave men said. He is more than able. He is more than capable of seeing every difficulty through.
But do you know what is the most challenging this to me about their response?
“But even if he does not.”
The unthinkable. If he doesn’t come through the way he hoped. If we aren’t rescued in the way we have dreamed. Even if he does not, we will not give up.
We will not turn another way. We will not worship another. We will not bow down to the things of this world that will try to soothe our souls in other ways.
When our adoption was falling apart in 2018 the only way we would see God delivering us was by bringing that baby girl back to us. We prayed, fasted and cried out to God to reverse what was happening. But he did not. He had a different plan.
The King was so angry with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago’s reponse that he made the fire seven times hotter than ever, so hot that the guards who threw them in died from being that close to the flames.
And then God did it. He rescued them. He showed up right in the midst of their torture and in their flames and he brought them out without even the smell of smoke on their clothes.
God can, does and he will in his own way that is higher and greater than ours.
But even if he does not do it in a way that makes any sense to us right now, he is still worthy of our worship, faithfulness, adoration and praise.
Those men would have been rescued one way or another. Either God would save them on earth, or they would be safe with him on the other side of death. He always wins.
This new year, I pray that we can be the mothers who look at our children and say with faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago,
Our God is able to deliver, but even if he does not do it the way we imagined, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Lord Jesus, you know every single battle that each mother is facing. You hear every cry for deliverance. I ask you to come meet each one in their fiery furnace of fear and bring your wisdom, comfort and breakthrough. And Lord when we don’t see you move the way we had hoped, give us the strength to rise up and worship you anyway, knowing that you are the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. Increase our courage to bring the response that our children need to see in times of uncertainty. In your mighty name. Amen
I love this song that Shane & Shane wrote from the perspective of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago.
Love,
Monica