Three young, Hebrew men were brought in before King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to pay homage to the golden idol that the king had set up on display for all to bow down in worship of it. Consequently, the monarch of Babylon angrily addressed them with the threat of being burnt to death if they dared to resist again. Daniel 3:16-18 gives us their response to that prideful king.
…O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. (NKJV)
Notice the faith of these Jews in the phrase of verse 18, “but if not.” In the face of imminent death, they not only informed the mighty king of the most powerful empire at the time that the God of Israel could deliver them from the fire, but also, that since their God is All-Powerful and All-Knowing, He may allow their lives on this earth to end in that furnace. Either way, they would not bow down to false gods, and the One, True God would be glorified!
We must ask ourselves if we have faith as displayed by these Israelites. The world is still full of idolatry to which many succumb (Romans 1:18-25; Colossians 3:5). As Christians, we must realize that our allegiance to the True God is being pulled in every way further from Him by the influences of this world. Therefore, we must continually fight against evil, striving every day to keep the faith and encourage our brethren in their walk (Ephesians 6:10-12; Hebrews 10:25; Revelation 14:12).
The Christian life is not an easy one, and certain circumstances in our individual lives may make life even harder to bear. We may pray for and expect certain things in this life: a faithful spouse, healthy children, a good job, etc., but in all reality, we may not be given such blessings. Is our faith such that when loss, hardship and disappointment happen in this life, we trust fully in God and lean on His understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)?
Knowing that without faith, we cannot please our Lord (Hebrews 11:6), may we resolve to fortify our commitment to Him. May our prayers of petition to our Father include, “But if not, I will praise and glorify You.”