It’s an easy thing to praise Him when He answers our prayers for He is indeed faithful to His word. It’s easy to praise Him for those answered prayers. God is good! He is faithful. In times of trouble, He is ever present and near. He is our deliverer and will see us safely through.
What if we don’t know that He will? The outcome of our troubles is not always know. What if the outcome is not what is hoped for? What if catastrophe befalls us when we thought He would deliver us? Are we going to praise Him then? Are we going to trust Him then?
There are three great examples of people who faced this question. They faced not merely trouble, but their very lives were at in doubt. Their answer to the question was firm in their hearts before the outcome of their quandary was known.
The three Hebrew youth were on the verge of their death. They knew God could deliver them. They knew He was willing. But, did He intend to this time? That, they did not know. Their determination in their answer was rock firm. They could have easily gotten out of their problem. The solution was simple. Stop trusting in God. Bow down to the king’s idols. A simple solution, actually. But no. That was not going to be their answer. They would take their chances with the fire. “He can deliver us. He will deliver us, of that we are sure.” But….. they added, “Even if He doesn’t. Even if He does not, we’re going to be true to Him.”
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.” (Dan 3:17-18 NIV)
Daniel himself faced the same certain death. He too could have assured his own safety. Simply stop trusting in his God. Though the Scriptures do not record what his response was to the king, I suspect that it was very much the same as that of his friends. “God is able to delivery me from the teeth of the lions. But even if He doesn’t…..” His cause for confidence in his delivery was high. Even the king believed that he would be saved from death. Down inside, did Daniel have even the slightest doubt? Perhaps not. Probably not, actually. He was human, after all. In spite of the possible outcome, he was determined that he would not compromise his position. “Even if God doesn’t deliver me from the lions, I’m still going to trust him. I’ll go to my death trusting Him.”
So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” (Dan 6:16-17 NKJV)
Though Job did not face death in quite the same way or under the same circumstances, he too was determined that regardless of his doom, he was not going to give up on God. He went so far as to believe that God himself was going to be the instrument of his death. But even if God killed him through the ordeal he was suffering, Job was determined that he was not going to relinquish his trust in God. No matter the outcome, he was not going to fail God. Even to his death.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. (Job 13:15 KJV)
That should be our prayer, that regardless of the outcome of our circumstances, we steel our jaw and say, “God, no matter what happens, if I am delivered out of this situation or not, I’m going to hold on to You in trust.”
©2006 Dan W. Dooley
Dan W. Dooley
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