What if you\u2019ve obeyed, been faithful, done everything right, and still nothing happens? What if your prayers are still not answered? What if there is no healing? What if there\u2019s no breakthrough or miracle?
During their Babylonian captivity, King Nebuchadnezzar created a statue, turning it into a god, and making a decree that all the people in his kingdom must bow down before it. However, three young Hebrew men that had been taken captive, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow.\xa0
Nebuchadnezzar is furious and goes into a rage. And in the public square, before all the people at the statue, he gives the Hebrew boys one more chance to bow and warns them that if they do not bow, the Babylonians will throw them into a blazing furnace.
Here\u2019s the response from these young men to a powerful and wicked king:
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, \u201cO Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 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. 18 But even if he doesn\u2019t, 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.\u201d
Key in on that phrase in verse18 that has become one of my life verses:\xa0
18 But even if he doesn\u2019t.
Those young men were saying, \u201cOur God can deliver us, but in His sovereignty, if he were to choose something else at this moment, we\u2019re serving notice on you king we will still trust our God we will still be faithful to him we will still honor him, and we will not bow to your idols.
The phrase \u201cBut even if he doesn\u2019t\u201d is an incredible expression of trust and faith. These young men believed in God and trusted him, even if he wouldn\u2019t answer their requests the way they preferred.