We’ve come to one of the greatest, most powerful statements of faith in the Bible as we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand before King Nebuchadnezzar and profess their faith.
I love this story, and when I hear it, it inspires me to exercise bold faith in the presence of my challenges and fiery furnaces. But as I looked deeper into what they said, I realized that these three young men not only had bold faith, but they also accepted what it would mean “even if” God didn’t deliver them.
In Daniel 3:16-18 we read, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.’” (NLT, emphasis added)
Even if.
It’s as though, for a moment, they played out in their mind what would happen if God said no.
If He said, “In this, I will allow your suffering,” or if He determined, “Your death will ultimately result in my glory.” These are the “what ifs” we never want to play out, because they are often just too painful to even think about.
Even if He never gives us a “yes” to this particular request, will He still remain faithful? Will we remain faithful to Him?
As I looked closer at their statement, I realized that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went from a “He is able…” to a “He will…” to an “Even if…” statement.
How could these three statements be made together? Don’t we believe one or the other? How can we believe all three?
As I prayed about this, I felt the Lord gently say, “All three of these statements need to exist together in the human heart. That is faith.”
He is able.
He will.
Even if…
So we can have faith that He will come through. And at the same time, we can have faith that if He doesn’t come through immediately in this, we can remain faithful and trust His goodness.
If you’ve lived on this earth for more than a day, you know the sting of unanswered prayers. The deep ache that happens when God says “no” or “not yet”. The disappointment that comes along with hope that something could change, only to realize things are exactly how they were. You start to wonder…were all those prayers wasted? Did God hear me?
The holidays have a way of bringing up all of these emotions that we stuff deep inside. And can I just say, as your friend in Christ, that it’s OK to feel disappointed? It’s OK to feel let down by the things of this world and “how they are” or “how they turned out to be.”
Because we can pray the words “even if”, knowing that in the face of unanswered prayers or not-yets from God, we are still choosing to live out faithfulness. That is what matters.
And when we find ourselves in the fire, He may not pull us out right away. After all, He didn’t do that for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
But instead, He stands with us. He is with us in the fire, and the disappointments, and the painful waiting for prayers to be answered.
As you walk through this holiday season, there is no doubt that your mind will drift to those disappointments, and when it does…I urge you to sit there with God, even just for a moment, and tell Him you are hurt and wanting things to be different.
As you let down your walls to truly be honest with Him, let Him tend to those hurting parts of your soul as He speaks life into you:
Dear child, I know this hurts. It’s not how I originally designed this life to be. But I am here, even here, in your fire. Stand with me.
I love this story, and when I hear it, it inspires me to exercise bold faith in the presence of my challenges and fiery furnaces. But as I looked deeper into what they said, I realized that these three young men not only had bold faith, but they also accepted what it would mean “even if” God didn’t deliver them.
In Daniel 3:16-18 we read, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.’” (NLT, emphasis added)
Even if.
It’s as though, for a moment, they played out in their mind what would happen if God said no.
If He said, “In this, I will allow your suffering,” or if He determined, “Your death will ultimately result in my glory.” These are the “what ifs” we never want to play out, because they are often just too painful to even think about.
Even if He never gives us a “yes” to this particular request, will He still remain faithful? Will we remain faithful to Him?
As I looked closer at their statement, I realized that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went from a “He is able…” to a “He will…” to an “Even if…” statement.
How could these three statements be made together? Don’t we believe one or the other? How can we believe all three?
As I prayed about this, I felt the Lord gently say, “All three of these statements need to exist together in the human heart. That is faith.”
He is able.
He will.
Even if…
So we can have faith that He will come through. And at the same time, we can have faith that if He doesn’t come through immediately in this, we can remain faithful and trust His goodness.
If you’ve lived on this earth for more than a day, you know the sting of unanswered prayers. The deep ache that happens when God says “no” or “not yet”. The disappointment that comes along with hope that something could change, only to realize things are exactly how they were. You start to wonder…were all those prayers wasted? Did God hear me?
The holidays have a way of bringing up all of these emotions that we stuff deep inside. And can I just say, as your friend in Christ, that it’s OK to feel disappointed? It’s OK to feel let down by the things of this world and “how they are” or “how they turned out to be.”
Because we can pray the words “even if”, knowing that in the face of unanswered prayers or not-yets from God, we are still choosing to live out faithfulness. That is what matters.
And when we find ourselves in the fire, He may not pull us out right away. After all, He didn’t do that for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
But instead, He stands with us. He is with us in the fire, and the disappointments, and the painful waiting for prayers to be answered.
As you walk through this holiday season, there is no doubt that your mind will drift to those disappointments, and when it does…I urge you to sit there with God, even just for a moment, and tell Him you are hurt and wanting things to be different.
As you let down your walls to truly be honest with Him, let Him tend to those hurting parts of your soul as He speaks life into you:
Dear child, I know this hurts. It’s not how I originally designed this life to be. But I am here, even here, in your fire. Stand with me.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.