But if not...

Three little words.

It can be easy to trust in God when things are going well, or even when things are only mildy wrong. But, when the train is off the tracks, life can be so hopeless.

I had a "train off the tracks" day today. Still, I'm guessing my day wasn't as bad as some others have been.

I imagine that discovering you have a choice to bow to a king or be thrown into a furnace might seem like a no brainer to many of us. I know I'd sure be tempted to bow to the king and repent later. I'm not a fan of being on fire.

Yet, three men of old had a different perspective. They EXPECTED their God to rescue them from what seemed to be a lose-lose situation. When the king approached them accusing them of refusing to bow and then asking what god existed who could rescue them from the furnace, they replied, "O [king], we have no need to answer you in this matter."

When they were backed into a corner, they refused to engage in explanations or defenses. Instead, they pointed to their God:

Daniel 3:17-18: "If 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.

"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."

In other words, not only did they KNOW that God would deliver them, even if He didn't, they wouldn't bow.

What kind of crazy faith is that?

God didn't rescue Shadrah, Meshach, and Abed-nego from the furance in an expected way. He didn't put out the fire or change the king's heart. Instead, He went INTO the fire with the men.

That same God today walks into the fire with us. As we stand firm in obedience and faith, we can EXPECT God to walk through the fire with us. And, just like those three faithful men, we can emerge without even a hint of smoke:

The king and his men "saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them."

No burnt hair. No singed clothing. No smell of fire.

That same God walks with us today.

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God...[T]here is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”

But if not....He is still good.