Even If He Does Not Save Us…

Even If He Does Not Save Us…

Daniel 3:17-18 “(17)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. (18) 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.”

Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were facing a possibility of death by being thrown in a fiery furnace. Their crime was refusal to worship Babylonian gods. The king of Babylon gives them a last chance to escape death by worshipping as decreed by Babylonian authorities. Their response is worth reading and rereading, and part of it is our text of consideration. They assure the king that in the event he keeps his word and throws them in the fire, their God is able to deliver them from that fire, and actually will deliver them. Then they add the statement that seals their resolve… Even if He (our God) does not save us, we will not worship the Babylonian gods or the Babylonian way. Even if He does not save us….

Even if He does not save us means that if we die as a result of being faithful to our God, we will not regret. If we come back to life and were put on the same test of facing death again, we will not serve your gods, even if our God “refuses” to save us. We will not regret that we were faithful to God. Even if faithfulness to God causes loss of life. These three Hebrew boys would today declare that even if God doesn’t grant them success, they will not regret, they will remain faithful to Him. Even if because of God they remain single and lonely, they will not regret, they will remain faithful to Him. Even if because of God they remain in poverty and limitations and don’t gain quick wealth like their corrupt dishonest colleagues, they will not regret. Even if life becomes unbearable and painful because of faithfulness to God, we will not regret, we will still be faithful to God. Even if He does not save us….

Even if He does not save us means we consider God to be good and best option even when He doesn’t answer our most desperate prayers. They were facing death and their most desperate prayers were salvation from that painful death. But even if God seems to “ignore” their most desperate prayers, they vowed that they will remain faithful to Him. Sometimes it is desperation that causes people to leave God and go to other gods or to stop believing in God. For these three men, desperation on their side does not translate to a test on how God is good or reliable. They refuse to be distracted by their desperation. What are you desperate about today? The Hebrew boys put in your situation will say that, even if God doesn’t respond to our desperation, we will remain faithful to Him. Even if He does not save us….

Even if He does not save us means that what is best for us is what God determines and not what we wish for ourselves. They wished for themselves to survive the painful death by burning in fire, but they recognised and declared that if God wanted them dead by burning fire, they will be happy and remain faithful to Him. God knows what is best for them and not they themselves. What God chooses and allows even if it is painful, terrible and disappointing is still the best and they will prefer it. They wanted life but wouldn’t mind death if that is what God preferred for them. Their lives were directed by God and not their choices. What is your wish today? For the Hebrew boys, their wish was subject to God’s will. So if their wish never came to be fulfilled even after prayer, and only God’s will was fulfilled in their lives and it wasn’t nice compared to their wish, they would still remain faithful to God. Even if He does not save us….

They first declared that they know their God. They said He can save from that fire. He is able. He is equal to the task. They further declared that He will save. But even if He fails to do that which He can do, we will not be disappointed. Even if God seems to let us down at this moment when we need Him most, we will remain faithful to Him. Has God “disappointed” you when you needed Him most? The Hebrew gentlemen said, they will still remain faithful to Him. Even if He does not save us….

Their faith was based on God and not on answered prayers. If answered prayer is the basis of your faith, then you have faith in yourself and not in God. If what excites you is answered prayer, then you are self-centred and not God centred. If answered prayer is what determines your relationship with the church and with God, then you don’t worship God, like Pharaoh of Egypt you worship yourself. The Hebrew guys said that even if God doesn’t answer their prayer, it is okay, they will still be faithful to Him and worship Him. Even if He does not save us….

May God grant us this kind of faith in our lives in Jesus name, Amen!(c)[email protected] (Do not delete any part of this post, including this. You are free to share these posts, but do not edit the authorship or content of these posts…thank you and be blessed!)