"But if not..."
7:15 AM Posted by Angie Vinez
This week, I was reading the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3.
I came across these two verses, and although I've read them dozens of times, and have heard this story hundreds of times, one particular phrase really stuck out.
Here are the verses that I want to focus on:
The phrase I want to focus on is found in verse 18: "But if not..."
When you read verses 16 and 17, you see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are talking directly to the king. They refused to disobey their Lord and bow down before the golden image. They knew that God was mighty, and that He could deliver them from the fiery furnace. Yet, they continued on with "But if not, be it known unto the, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
Basically, these 3 men were telling the king, "We know that our God is able to protect us from you, and from the fiery furnace. BUT, even if he chooses not to deliver us from this, we are still going to do what is right in his eyes." Now, I know I'm paraphrasing, but isn't that what you get from the story?
The phrase brings me back to a time in my life when I was so angry at God. My father was sick and dying of a rare cancer. I knew that God had the power to heal my Daddy, and that was all I wanted. I wouldn't consider any other option. I wanted my Daddy strong, healthy, and at home where he belonged - not sick and dying in a hospital bed.
My Daddy, however, never stopped praising the Lord or serving him. Ever. He even wrote a song about how we need to spend more time serving the Lord because we just don't know how much time we have left here on earth. He witnessed to the unsaved that came to visit him, and he never got angry with God.
My Daddy was much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He knew that God could heal him of his cancer, but even if he didn't, Daddy was still going to serve Him.
Sure, we trust God. We know He is all powerful and can do anything according to his will. But, just how much are we willing to serve Him? If we knew that some harm could come to us, would we still be so willing to give up everything? Would we follow Christ no matter what?
10 years ago, I couldn't say that I would follow Christ no matter what. I became angry with God when He took my Daddy from me. But, now, I see that it was all a part of His perfect plan.
Yet, still, even today, I struggle with this. When bad things happen, I wonder why God allows it. It is a huge downfall of mine, and one that I pray daily that I will overcome. I want to be willing to serve God come sunshine or rain. I want to have the strength and courage that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego possessed. I want to serve God no matter what He decides is best.
What will you decide to do today? Will you trust God to take full control - no matter what? Or will you continue to take matters into your own hands?
I came across these two verses, and although I've read them dozens of times, and have heard this story hundreds of times, one particular phrase really stuck out.
Here are the verses that I want to focus on:
Daniel 3
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
The phrase I want to focus on is found in verse 18: "But if not..."
When you read verses 16 and 17, you see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are talking directly to the king. They refused to disobey their Lord and bow down before the golden image. They knew that God was mighty, and that He could deliver them from the fiery furnace. Yet, they continued on with "But if not, be it known unto the, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
Basically, these 3 men were telling the king, "We know that our God is able to protect us from you, and from the fiery furnace. BUT, even if he chooses not to deliver us from this, we are still going to do what is right in his eyes." Now, I know I'm paraphrasing, but isn't that what you get from the story?
The phrase brings me back to a time in my life when I was so angry at God. My father was sick and dying of a rare cancer. I knew that God had the power to heal my Daddy, and that was all I wanted. I wouldn't consider any other option. I wanted my Daddy strong, healthy, and at home where he belonged - not sick and dying in a hospital bed.
My Daddy, however, never stopped praising the Lord or serving him. Ever. He even wrote a song about how we need to spend more time serving the Lord because we just don't know how much time we have left here on earth. He witnessed to the unsaved that came to visit him, and he never got angry with God.
My Daddy was much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He knew that God could heal him of his cancer, but even if he didn't, Daddy was still going to serve Him.
Sure, we trust God. We know He is all powerful and can do anything according to his will. But, just how much are we willing to serve Him? If we knew that some harm could come to us, would we still be so willing to give up everything? Would we follow Christ no matter what?
10 years ago, I couldn't say that I would follow Christ no matter what. I became angry with God when He took my Daddy from me. But, now, I see that it was all a part of His perfect plan.
Yet, still, even today, I struggle with this. When bad things happen, I wonder why God allows it. It is a huge downfall of mine, and one that I pray daily that I will overcome. I want to be willing to serve God come sunshine or rain. I want to have the strength and courage that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego possessed. I want to serve God no matter what He decides is best.
What will you decide to do today? Will you trust God to take full control - no matter what? Or will you continue to take matters into your own hands?
March 8, 2010 8:19 AM
I've been there more than once, but mostly with career and TTC. With my divorce, though, it hasn't been so easy to be like, "Even if it doesn't work out, it's still ok!" I made a blog post yesterday about something similar.
March 8, 2010 1:01 PM
Wow... such a great message here! Thanks for sharing it with us today.