Daniel 3:15-18
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
We love this story. We applaud the Hebrew boys for their loyal defiance, and we covet their fiery faith. They were genuinely ready for an “if not” experience. Most of us talk a good game, but we are seldom ready for the real fiery furnace of “no”. The diagnosis, the broken relationship, the lost job, the unfulfilled promise.
We really don’t expect to have to make good on our “if not” declarations.
- “God is able to restore this relationship… but if not, I will still trust His plan.”
- “God is able to heal my pain… but if not, I will still trust that His grace is sufficient”
- God is able to deliver me from this financial hardship… but if not, I will still trust Him as my provider”
We say it because it’s right. We believe it because it’s true. But in our hearts, we have no intention of ever having to walk this out. To us, the possibility of an actual “if not” experience is non-negotiable. We say “if not”, but we whisper “when”. We are so unprepared for “not” that we are thrown into a spiritual convulsion. Our heart flatlines with God.
Resuscitate.
Recalibrate.
Whether God rescues us from the fire, or meets us in the fire, our response remains unchanged–in a perfect world. But we’re not in a perfect world. We are here.
In a perfect world, we don’t worship the deliverance; we worship the Deliverer. But our world is not perfect.
Reset.
Refocus.
But if not, He is still sovereign.
But if not, He is still worthy.
But if not, He is still God.
And if not, my problem is bigger than my unanswered prayer.
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