Even If He Won't...
Even if He won’t…
I don’t understand it. I don’t know why, but most kids love hypotheticals. Maybe it’s the possibility of something. Maybe it’s the contingency of planning. Maybe it’s just frustrating the people that the hypothetical is given to, but kids love the what if.
There’s definitely something about planning for contingencies that is necessary in many situations. Retirement planning, military planning and strategy, business possibilities… there are many reasons to ask and apply the “what if” questions.
This got me thinking about a couple “what ifs” in the Old Testament. It’s certainly not the more popular of the two testaments, but I don’t think you can have one without the other. In fact, Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the law or the prophets of the OT, but to fulfill them. The prophets of old spoke and wrote about Him. They were true prophets in a world that wanted puppets, and many of them paid the ultimate price for it.
One example being the three Hebrew boys under king Nebuchadnezzar. In the beginning of the book of Daniel, we see these four (Daniel and the three) together. They chose to disobey with food and asked to fast for ten days. After the ten days they not only looked better but they performed better as well. This is the setup. These men performed so well that they were promoted. Daniel was basically second only to the king and he placed the other three over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Now let’s cut to the good stuff. King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and they all have to bow to it or they are thrown into the fire. There’s an interesting correlation between the kings rage and anger and the furnace being made hotter. These three, once loved and respected by the king, are now loathed and repudiated for their refusal to bow. As the king’s anger burned, so would the men for their disobedience.
In reality it wasn’t just disobedience; it was defiance. Defiance against worshiping the prince of the air who was working through the king of the earth. Lucifer always wanted worship. The three Hebrews refused to give it. And it cost them.
Their last words still echo today. God is able to save us if He chooses. But even if He doesn’t, we will not worship you. Nor your gods. Nor your statue.
What if He doesn’t? What if God doesn’t choose to save you from your circumstance? What if, instead, He chooses to save you through it? I can’t speak on whether or not those three felt any of the flames but I can tell you this… the only thing that was burned was what bound them.
Sometimes it’s a furnace. Sometimes is a storm. Sometimes it’s a total loss of everything in your life. Your family. Your friendships. Your spouse. Your business. And you did nothing wrong to deserve it. In fact, you remained righteous the whole time.
This is the story of Job. A righteous man that God allowed circumstances beyond our comprehension to happen to him in an extremely short amount of time. And to be honest, chapters 38 through 41 scare the life out of me. Because Job got what he wanted - God answered.
He answered in both stories, but not in the way we might want or expect. He answered from the flames for the Hebrews and He answered Job from the whirlwind. One definition for that word whirlwind is “storm of destruction.” God spoke to Job out of the storm of destruction.
So what if God chooses to let the storms and the flames surround you? Is He any less God in that situation? Is He any less in control? Does He care less about you? Is He overlooking you? This isn’t something I’ve learned, this is something I’m learning.
You may not like where you are. You may have put yourself there. But you also may not have. The Holy Spirit pushed Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Sometimes where you are is where you don’t want to be, but it’s actually right where God wants or allows you to be.
This is difficult for us to understand because why would God put me in a place or situation where I don’t want to be? Because isolation can create focus. And focus is what it takes for you to ignore the yelling and noise and distractions of this world, and listen to the still small whisper of God saying “I see you. I hear you. I’m here for you. I’m doing something in and through you. Just you wait until it’s over and see what I’m about to do. I’ve got plans for you.”
This is what Job held on to after he lost everything. In chapter 13 of the book of Job it’s recorded in verse 15 that Job states, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Just like the three in the fire, “even if He chooses not to save us…”
The difficult question isn’t “can God,” it’s “will He?” But the more important question is will you? What if God doesn’t save you? Will you still trust in Him? In what He’s doing? In where He’s leading?
Gold is only purified through the refiner’s fire. It may seem like it’s destroying when it’s actually purifying. It takes faith to allow the process of refining. It takes faith to perceive what God is doing when you can't see what He's doing.
Faith turns "what if" into "even if…"
I don’t understand it. I don’t know why, but most kids love hypotheticals. Maybe it’s the possibility of something. Maybe it’s the contingency of planning. Maybe it’s just frustrating the people that the hypothetical is given to, but kids love the what if.
There’s definitely something about planning for contingencies that is necessary in many situations. Retirement planning, military planning and strategy, business possibilities… there are many reasons to ask and apply the “what if” questions.
This got me thinking about a couple “what ifs” in the Old Testament. It’s certainly not the more popular of the two testaments, but I don’t think you can have one without the other. In fact, Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the law or the prophets of the OT, but to fulfill them. The prophets of old spoke and wrote about Him. They were true prophets in a world that wanted puppets, and many of them paid the ultimate price for it.
One example being the three Hebrew boys under king Nebuchadnezzar. In the beginning of the book of Daniel, we see these four (Daniel and the three) together. They chose to disobey with food and asked to fast for ten days. After the ten days they not only looked better but they performed better as well. This is the setup. These men performed so well that they were promoted. Daniel was basically second only to the king and he placed the other three over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Now let’s cut to the good stuff. King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and they all have to bow to it or they are thrown into the fire. There’s an interesting correlation between the kings rage and anger and the furnace being made hotter. These three, once loved and respected by the king, are now loathed and repudiated for their refusal to bow. As the king’s anger burned, so would the men for their disobedience.
In reality it wasn’t just disobedience; it was defiance. Defiance against worshiping the prince of the air who was working through the king of the earth. Lucifer always wanted worship. The three Hebrews refused to give it. And it cost them.
Their last words still echo today. God is able to save us if He chooses. But even if He doesn’t, we will not worship you. Nor your gods. Nor your statue.
What if He doesn’t? What if God doesn’t choose to save you from your circumstance? What if, instead, He chooses to save you through it? I can’t speak on whether or not those three felt any of the flames but I can tell you this… the only thing that was burned was what bound them.
Sometimes it’s a furnace. Sometimes is a storm. Sometimes it’s a total loss of everything in your life. Your family. Your friendships. Your spouse. Your business. And you did nothing wrong to deserve it. In fact, you remained righteous the whole time.
This is the story of Job. A righteous man that God allowed circumstances beyond our comprehension to happen to him in an extremely short amount of time. And to be honest, chapters 38 through 41 scare the life out of me. Because Job got what he wanted - God answered.
He answered in both stories, but not in the way we might want or expect. He answered from the flames for the Hebrews and He answered Job from the whirlwind. One definition for that word whirlwind is “storm of destruction.” God spoke to Job out of the storm of destruction.
So what if God chooses to let the storms and the flames surround you? Is He any less God in that situation? Is He any less in control? Does He care less about you? Is He overlooking you? This isn’t something I’ve learned, this is something I’m learning.
You may not like where you are. You may have put yourself there. But you also may not have. The Holy Spirit pushed Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Sometimes where you are is where you don’t want to be, but it’s actually right where God wants or allows you to be.
This is difficult for us to understand because why would God put me in a place or situation where I don’t want to be? Because isolation can create focus. And focus is what it takes for you to ignore the yelling and noise and distractions of this world, and listen to the still small whisper of God saying “I see you. I hear you. I’m here for you. I’m doing something in and through you. Just you wait until it’s over and see what I’m about to do. I’ve got plans for you.”
This is what Job held on to after he lost everything. In chapter 13 of the book of Job it’s recorded in verse 15 that Job states, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Just like the three in the fire, “even if He chooses not to save us…”
The difficult question isn’t “can God,” it’s “will He?” But the more important question is will you? What if God doesn’t save you? Will you still trust in Him? In what He’s doing? In where He’s leading?
Gold is only purified through the refiner’s fire. It may seem like it’s destroying when it’s actually purifying. It takes faith to allow the process of refining. It takes faith to perceive what God is doing when you can't see what He's doing.
Faith turns "what if" into "even if…"
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