What Then?

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, …...but even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’  - Daniel 3:17,18

Every now and again, the Scripture surprises us. We are taught to pray believing, and this is true, but then we come across these verses which suggest that our prayers may not be answered because they don’t fall into God’s will for our lives. Our prayers usually end with words like “Thy will be done” and they roll off the tongue easily. But what if God doesn’t agree with our prayers?

Daniel and his friends knew the dangers full well, and they must have prayed earnestly that they would be spared the furnace. Who wouldn’t? I think it takes real inner strength, courage, and faith to say “but even if He does not”... and put yourself completely at the literal mercy of a loving God. To Daniel, God would be no less loving if they had been tossed to the lions. Could we say that?

How difficult is your life? Are you faced with financial problems, wayward children, personal or a loved one’s serious illness? When you pray, it is important, above all else, that God in love will step in and change things for the better, but what if He doesn’t? We know that some prayers don’t get answered and we are faced with silence. That’s not too bad, but what if the answer is the polar opposite of your prayer? Your money worries get worse, your family faces breakdown, and your loved one doesn’t get well, but dies? What then? Do we still think God is loving and in control?

Daniel faced life or death when he prayed. He was sincere, and the Bible records that he and his friends were thrown into the furnace. They should have died, but these Saints were prepared for that possibility. They didn’t die, a miracle was performed and a witness like no other was seen when another man was noticed beside them, and the onlookers just knew it looked like the Son of God. They didn’t need to be told. They knew. In fact the prayer was answered in a way that no one expected. The lesson for me is, obey the command, pray believing, and let God be God. After all, He really IS in control.