Even if

We are told to let God fight our battles, but what does that mean exactly? What does it mean for us to be in a place where the God of the universe will stand before, behind, and beside us against our enemies?

Reading through the book of Daniel, I see such a moment. A moment where three men were given a choice, God or the world, and by choosing God, He defended them.

“I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Daniel 3:15

King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t pick a fight with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Sure he thought he could bully them into submission by holding their lives in the balance, but notice the last line of his statement, “And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” He dared God to intervene, he arrogantly proclaimed that there was not god that was stronger than he. Even after all God had done for him personally, he took his fight to the highest court, God was not going to leave his chosen and faithful believers unaided.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men talking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24-25

God will not abandon His faithful. That does not mean you have to be perfect, or get all things right, or never make a mistake, it means you must be faithful. You must put God first, when we do that, when we chose Him over whatever else is calling for our attention, God will ALWAYS show up.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-10

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship an enormous gold statue that the King had erected for himself. They made the decision to remain faithful to their God and His commands, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:1-6

Even though they were in exile, taken as children and acculturated into Babylonian society, they remembered the teachings of the Lord. They remembered his commands while being basically brainwashed to be Babylonians. Because of their faithfulness, God provided for them in all ways. Elevating them well above those who were native to the culture. They stood apart, stood above, and were favored by the king, until they drew a line in the sand. They would NOT bow down and worship a foreign God.

King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t just threaten the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which was bad enough, he dared God to defy him. He dared the God to, “just try”, and step in. He challenged the Sovereign God of the Universe to a game of chicken, and lost, miserably.

I love the answer that they provide the King after he lays down the ultimatum, assimilate or die a painful horrible death.

“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.”” Daniel 3:16-18

WOW! Not only do they respond with, “yes, He is able” but also with “yes, He will”. Their confidence in Gods ability and willingness to save them (either in this life or the next) is absolute and they have no doubt. My favorite words, however, are what come next. “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.”

Even if… Even if we die in this world, we will not worship your Gods. Even if we lose our job, our home, our family, we will not turn aside from the God who sent His son to save us. Even if we become outcasts, lepers, strangers, we will remain faithful to the God of our forefathers, and we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will do battle for us.

Even if. We hear these words from Daniel, Esther, Ruth, Job, Paul, Peter, all the saints and faithful believers throughout history and into today. Those living in countries where owning a Bible is a death warrant, even if it means they die a horrible death, they remain faithful.

Even if, is our response to, But God. We read throughout God’s word how His people faced unsurmountable odds, situations and conditions that pushed them well beyond the limits of natural human endurance, then we read, But God. He defends His faithful, our response is, Even If. Even if we don’t get what we want or thing should happen, even if our lives turn out every different and we are forced to endure the unendurable, even then we will praise you Lord. Even then we will refuse to bow down before any idol, even then we will worship you, and no one else but you.

Even if…

Pease help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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