Faith like that..

Daniel 3
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 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. 18 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."

Cliff and I meet each Saturday morning up at the church building. Cliff is Jill's husband for those of you who read Altered (Jill's blog). We talk a lot about how our situations are so different yet we find so much in common. He says he cannot imagine our loss of Ayden. I say I can't imagine watching your wife's body fail her...not knowing what is next, not knowing how to help, not knowing how you can continue to give and give yet knowing she needs you nearly every waking moment to be there for her. Jill is an amazing woman...and Cliff is an equally amazing man. He is the silent partner who stands faithfully by his wife's side.

This past week we talked and a couple of weeks before that (it all runs together), we talked about this very verse with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. For those who know the story of the fiery furnace, Nebuchudnezzar had the furnace turned up 7 times hotter than normal because he was so infuriated these 3 men would not bow to his gods. They are thrown into the furnace and yet when they look in on them, the 3 men are dancing around completely unharmed by the flames (and a 4th man is there with them...most likely Jesus in the Old Testament...mind blowing)

HERE IS THE AMAZING PART WE MISS: Look at their response. So often we pray for deliverance from a situation or circumstance. We pray for healing of sicknesses. We pray for a way out of our troubles. We say we know God will provide and he intends good for us. But they didn't miss the big question. What if you don't get your miracle? What if there is no deliverance from your circumstances? What if things only get worse? "EVEN IF HE DOES NOT..."

In real life maybe its more like this more often than we want to imagine. God will never bring Ayden back to us here on this earth. Jill Hollis will not get out of her wheelchair tomorrow morning most likely and miraculously be able to walk. Nor the morning after, or the next or the next. Randy Alcorn has a book called "If God is Good". In it he says something to this effect. God may still be in the miracle-making business (For those at Christ's Church we saw that Sunday morning, finding out David Maki, who doctors had basically said no way we can stop this cancer...got a report Thursday that his brain cancer is in remission.) But if God is all-powerful, that means the same God who can heal the disease or whatever it may be, could have prevented it all in the first place.

The question is this: In the best or worst of situations, will you have the same faith as these 3 men? Can you tell God, you know what, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HEAL ME, EVEN IF YOU DON'T SAVE ME HERE, I WILL TRUST YOU and I WILL PRAISE YOU because you are faithful. I want faith like those 3 men had.

Cliff always says one thing that really challenges me...What if God doesn't really care about the "thing"? (Sure He still loves us and He may be right there crying with us). What if what God is really concerned with is not the "thing" but our reaction to the "thing"?

-Jeremy