Faith In The Fire

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18 NASB

I believe this is one of the most powerful statements of faith in all the Bible! That phrase, "But even if He does not," speaks volumes!! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that God was able to deliver them, and they were confident that He would, but even if He chose not to, they would still honor Him.

This is the kind of faith we need: an unshakable confidence that God is in control and that nothing and no one can thwart His determined will. It is a faith that says, "I will honor God, no matter what."

It is true that sometimes God chooses to deliver here, and sometimes He chooses to take His servants home to be with Him. Peter was released from prison, while James was killed (Acts 12). John the Baptist was never released from prison. Instead, he was released to heaven. All of these saints were rescued, but in different ways. Some remained, while others were promoted to glory. It's not up to us to decide the means of God's deliverance; it's our duty to obey and leave all the consequences to Him.

Dear Father in Heaven, You are the all-powerful One. The world and my flesh call me to compromise, but You call me to a life of holiness. I know I cannot live this way on my own, so I pray for Your enablement to choose obedience, regardless of the cost. Help me to have faith even in the fire. Amen.