Even If

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:1)

He did not make the image so he could sit and enjoy it himself.
He made the image for others to fall down and worship it.
Failure to do so meant that you would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.

To ensure that the worship of the gold image would happen among the people of every nation and language, they would hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. (Daniel 3:5)
There was no mistaking what they were required to do when they heard the sounds of the instruments.

But there was a problem.
The Jews, exiled in Babylon, only worshiped the one, true God.
They knew and recited the shema.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

They knew the Commandments that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai.
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 yourself an idol 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…(Deuteronomy 5:6-8)

Young Israelite men, without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace were brought in, by the king’s order. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. (Daniel 1:3,4)

Three of these young men even had their name changed to more appropriate Babylonian names. They became Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They could not…they would not…bow their knee to anyone or anything other than the one, true God they served.

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious when he heard about this and called the three young men into his presence.
If you do not worship it, you will be thrown into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? (Daniel 3:15)

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

The three young men were thrown into the blazing furnace which was heated seven times hotter than usual. When the king looked into the furnace, he was amazed that he saw four men walking about when there should have been only three. The king ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the fire. They were not harmed, not a hair was singed, and their clothes were not scorched.

The king praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own. (Daniel 3:28)

What is your “even if”?

Will you still worship God even if He doesn’t do what you expect?
Is God still good even if your situation is bad?
Will you still believe God even if you are waiting for something you desperately want?

What is your “even if”?

We all have one.
Our “even if” actually strengthens our testimony.
God gets the glory and the praise either way.

In His Sovereignty, the Lord decides the outcome of our “even if”.
It is our job to stand, firm in our faith.
We stand confident that our Sovereign Lord knows what is best.

Especially in our culture, when bearing the name of Christ gets increasingly more difficult, our “even if” will mean that we refuse to bow our knee to the god of the age.
We must lay down our idols, and anything that hinders our worship of the one, true God.

“Even if” often comes with persecution.
Whatever hardships we encounter, for His name’s sake, are temporary hardships.
Our Lord Jesus is with us in the fire.
We are never left alone.

It is easy to praise Him when things are going well.
It is difficult to praise Him when things are terribly hard.
That is where our faith comes in.
The faith to stand…even if.

Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!” Or to lifeless stone, “Wake up!” Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him. (Habakkuk 2:18-20)