God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
"Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?' Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, '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 3:13-18 NIV).
Several years ago, a Christian Iranian pastor named Youcef Nadarkhani was prosecuted for his faith in Jesus and sentenced to death; justices proceeding over his trial told him to return to Islam.
“What should I return to?” he asked. “The blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?”
I hear in Pastor Nadarkhani's words echoes of the response of three other men who were told to renounce their faith.
They refused as he did.
They refused because they knew the Answer to the king's question, "Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" They refused because they knew their God could and would deliver them. But I think they also refused for the same reason as Pastor Nadarkhani did: because what would they be going back to?
I hear in Pastor Nadarkhani's words echoes of the response of three other men who were told to renounce their faith.
They refused as he did.
They refused because they knew the Answer to the king's question, "Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" They refused because they knew their God could and would deliver them. But I think they also refused for the same reason as Pastor Nadarkhani did: because what would they be going back to?
What would they be gaining if they gave up faith?
This was "even if" faith: even if God does not deliver us from the fire or through the fire; even if He does not do what He is entirely able to do; even if, even when, even though, even as.
There is an expression, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." Better, in other words, the "fiery furnace" you're already familiar with than to have to learn the ins and outs of a new fire.
Pastor Nadarkhani and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego offer us a different approach to trial and trouble: better the God I know—even if—than the god I don't.
This was "even if" faith: even if God does not deliver us from the fire or through the fire; even if He does not do what He is entirely able to do; even if, even when, even though, even as.
There is an expression, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." Better, in other words, the "fiery furnace" you're already familiar with than to have to learn the ins and outs of a new fire.
Pastor Nadarkhani and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego offer us a different approach to trial and trouble: better the God I know—even if—than the god I don't.
Better a God Who is and always will be—even if—than a god who is not and never was.
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Oh, God, again and again I pray: give me faith in Your power to do what You can do and faith in Your goodness even if You don't.
Oh, God, again and again I pray: give me faith in Your power to do what You can do and faith in Your goodness even if You don't.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!