In my opinion, those 3 words were probably the most remarkable words ever spoken by mere men.
Let me provide some more information. Daniel 3:17 says:
“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. “
Then in the next verse, Rach, Shack, and Benny (for those VeggieTales fans) say the following:
“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.”
So, why do I find those 3 words to be so powerful? Perhaps it is because it showed their complete commitment to our God. Their faith and devotion didn’t rest on God delivering them from death. They believed He could deliver them, but didn’t know if it was His will to do so. Regardless of the outcome, they were making it clear whose side they had chosen.
That is where I want to be. I want to be so sold out to Christ that the outcome of any circumstance doesn’t matter. My faith so solid that even death itself can’t shake it.
Kelly and I see ourselves currently facing our own “furnace.” With the prognosis for Kelly’s dad, Donald, looking grim, we see the different directions we COULD possibly go. Do we get angry? Do we express thanksgiving? Is our faith shaken such that we no longer see God as the loving and merciful God that He is? It is easy to SAY the right answer, but we really find out who we really are when the flames are the hottest. Unfortunately, I can’t say for certain how strong I am until I’ve gone through the trial.
One positive I see from any adversity is it makes you reflect on the times God has delivered and blessed you in the past. I noted so many in such a short amount of time, I decided I needed to buy a journal and record them to pass down to my kids as a “heritage of faith” (this was my Mom’s idea). If I can faithfully keep up w/ it, it will provide for encouragement during the down times.
