I was on pinterest the other day, and I saw this quote that read “and if not, He is still good.” Something about that spoke to me, so I had to google it to find out where it came from and what the context was. Some searching lead me to a devotional on the She Read’s Truth website, which was based on Daniel 3.
In this chapter of Daniel, we see how Shadrach, Meschah and Abendnego refused to bow and worship the idol created by King Nebuchadnezzar. Verses 13-18 say:
14Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
We know how the story ends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire…but they were unharmed in there. When the king looked at them in the furnace, he even saw a 4th person standing with them who looked like the Son of God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendnego came out without so much as smelling like smoke.
What I wanna focus on is verse 18 which said: But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
You see they knew who God was, and they served Him no matter what the cost. They refused to bow and worship anybody or anything else, and while they believed that God could deliver them out of the king’s hand….they said even if God chose not to, they weren’t changing their minds. They would not bow.
Oh that more people would stand for what they believe in, no matter what the cost. But let’s get back to the “and if not, He is still good.” That has really been my theme for this year, a lot of things didn’t go the way that I planned or pictured it…I thought I would have been done with some things by now, farther ahead in some stuff by now…but even though it didn’t go the way that I pictured it: He is still good.
I’m learning that while yes I need to place my faith and complete trust in God with all things, I have to remember that even if He chooses not to allow certain things to happen in my life the way that I would like for them to go: He is still good. Even if I don’t do some of the things that I wanted to do, because God has another plan: He is still good. Even if my life doesn’t pan out the way that I pictured it: He is still good. No matter what happens: He is still good.
I tried to imagine being in the shoes of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Upon saying that I believe God was able to deliver me from the furnace, and the kings hand…I woulda been looking around for something miraculous to happen instantly. I don’t know what, but in my head I probably woulda been like “Ok God, anytime now is good….” And on my way into the furnace (especially since they turned up the heat before they threw them in there), I woulda been telling myself that even if I never made it out He was still good…. But in the furnace? And on my way out? There’s no way I wouldn’t have been giving God all the praise.
I feel like had it been me, I would have perceived or expected the deliverance to occur before I got into the furnace…this way I didn’t have to face the possible outcome (death, smoke inhalation, catching on fire, you know)….but I guess sometimes you gotta get all the way in it to get delivered from it. Had they not gone into the furnace, they would have missed out on that display of God’s glory, mercy, and protection of His anointed ones. This has taught me that even when deliverance from a problem or situation doesn’t come at the time I think it should be scheduled, God is always right on time. It made me check myself, to remember that even if things don’t go the way I think I need for them to go: He’s still good.
So this morning, even if they turned the heat up on you remember: God is still good. Amen.
*I write and do these devotionals every other Sunday on WBRU (95.5FM) during their morning Gospel show. Be sure to check it out!
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