But If Not

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 of gold you have set up. Daniel 3:17-18

Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a situation where you had to make a choice...God's way or the world's way? Was the pressure to compromise so intense that the easiest thing to do would be to conform? In this story, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were going to face certain death in a fiery furnace if they didn't submit to the King's wishes. Even though they knew God was more than capable of delivering them if He chose to, they made it perfectly clear that even if He didn't they still would not bow. Their loyalty to God wasn't determined by whether He would or wouldn't do something for them.

Many times people face trials and circumstances where they pray diligently for healing, deliverance or some other need. They may even make rash vows to God, offering to serve Him if He would do as they were asking. The thing is, God is not prone to accept bribes. He is moved by faith. Now He can offer compassion or extend mercy, but He is not obligated to do what we say or want. So basically, our devotion to Him should remain stable even in the most troubling times. God has a plan in all things even when we don't see it.

Have you ever heard the saying, "hindsight is 20/20?" Most times people who say this are referring to seeing clearly the things they should have done in the past. But think about this...sometimes we want things to work out a certain way, and God doesn't allow it for whatever reason. Later in life we may be able to look back and see where God's hand was at work. He was working things together for our good. Oh I know it may be hard to see God at work in the midst of the chaos. But we can trust that He is. And He will never leave us nor forsake us no matter how bleak things may appear.

I recently went to the beach with one of my 6 year old grandsons, Jacob. He kept begging me to go to the water with him so he could jump waves. So like the doting Nene that I am, I went out with him. Once we got there he was having a blast jumping over the waves. When a big one came along I jumped over it and suddenly Jacob screamed with glee, "Welcome to my world Nene!" It really tickled him that I would jump the wave. As we walked back to shore he said to me, "Now, we're going back to your side of the world."  This got me thinking how sometimes it's so easy to sit on the sidelines as we watch that exciting and unpredictable life pass us by. We choose safety over adventure and then wonder why we find life dull and boring. Seems like all of my life I have been afraid of the unknown. I was never one to take risks. I think a lot of that stems from my dad leaving us when I was a child. I always felt out of control regarding the situation and the events in my life that came as a result of it. I felt unstable. Kind of like that sand beneath your feet as the waves crash in and go out. You know how the sand oozes between your toes and the ground starts moving under your feet giving you that unsteady feeling. Anyway, looking back, I can see that stability isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Yes, there's a place for it. But how exactly does that work in conjunction with faith? Faith will bring with it uncertainties. When we fully surrender our will to God's, then there's a big chance he will ask us to do something that we don't feel comfortable with. It will mean we have to step out when we don't know for sure where our foot will land. We might even get knocked down by a wave here and there. But we can trust that God is right there with us, catching us, and helping us along the journey. But you know, with all the uncertainties, there are those things we can be sure of. God loves us and he will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be there through thick and thin. So no matter what happens in this life, we can trust that will never change no matter what circumstances come our way.