Even If He Does Not
As I sit in my room in my final days at my university, studying for finals and packing up my apartment, I've been reflecting on my time here. During these past few years I've felt a lot of things towards this place. It has been nothing like I thought it would be when I first set foot on campus as a freshman. College has been one of the most challenging, impactful, dark, and beautiful times of my life; a season of difficulty and uncertainty, but also a season of blessings, immense growth, and opportunity for God to reveal His faithfulness. I was going to take you through some specific things but instead want to just focus on five simple words.
Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (we'll call them Rack, Shack, and Benny like in VeggieTales since their names are a handful to type), how they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's idol and were thrown into the fiery furnace because of this. When the king was threatening them with the furnace they replied:
Even if he does not… still they will obey, still they will stand firm, still they will worship the one true God.
God has the power to carry us through the flames, but even if He does not He is still worthy of our praise. Rack, Shack, and Benny were kept safe in the blazing furnace. God even sent an angel to hang out with them. We love hearing these kinds of stories too. The book, "The Insanity of God" by Nik Ripken, is loaded with stories of people who faced severe trials and said they know God will care for them and rescue them, but even if He didn't they were still going to praise Him for who He is and what He has already done for them. People in our own lives that are strong like this in the middle of difficulties are people we admire and look up to. The news will even cover stories of people who overcome hard things in their lives.
But even if he does not... What happens when he doesn't save us from the brutal circumstances we're facing? I think this is where a lot of our doubt comes from. We know God is able to save us, but sometimes He doesn't, or it doesn't seem like He does. It's not easy to say, "but even if he does not," I will trust. Even if he does not, nothing else is worth my attention, my love, my praise. When the fire is getting hotter and destruction seems imminent, it's hard to say and believe these things. Maybe, instead, we have a different response that causes us to bring outstretched hands of surrender into clenched fists at our chests. Maybe we close our hearts to what God can bring because they're too broken for us to make sense of anything good coming.
God knows this is hard. He knows because Jesus went through the same thing. Before Jesus was arrested he was in the garden of Gethsemane overcome by sorrow and grief over what he knew was about to happen to him. He was in such agony that his sweat was like blood. Jesus knew the torture he would face and the grueling crucifixion he was about to experience.
Doesn't this strangely parallel what we heard from Rack, Shack, and Benny? (Only this time, it's a little more personal to us and it's the Son of God not wanting to face the furnace, which is also ironic because the furnace he was really battling was hell, the ultimate furnace, but I'm getting side tracked.)
Even if he does not… Yet not as I will, but as you will.
Our own God left His thrown in Heaven to come down in the form of a man, walked this earth with us, and suffered through a brutal death while Heaven looked away. Shortly before Jesus died he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Matthew 27:46)?" He knows what it is like to suffer through excruciating circumstances, asking God if there is any other way and wondering where God is. But, because he remained faithful Jesus is alive again with God in Heaven.
Rack, Shack, and Benny were called out of the furnace by the king, who then praised God and promoted the three in their province. So, things ended up working out pretty well for them. But maybe you're still waiting for your happy ending. Well, Jesus had to wait too; 3 days to be precise (although it probably felt longer since he was conquering death and the power of hell). I love Paul's writing to the church in Corinth where he is talking about boasting in the midst suffering. Paul was experiencing persecution and was imprisoned for His ministry, so he knew a thing or two about suffering. He writes of a "thorn" in his skin that is tormenting him and says:
Steven Furtick of Elevation Church said in a recent sermon that our greatest potential for miracle might be in the form of something we're trying to step over or clear ourselves from. The times when we feel the most out of control are the times when there is the greatest room for God to show His power and strength. Struggle makes us stronger and it allows God the opportunity to reveal Himself to us. It's just not by our will, but His. Maybe that's the biggest struggle; the surrender.
I share this with you because, while there were a lot of great things that happened during my college years, I think this is something that spans over a lot of what I have wrestled with these last few years and have been trying to learn from. Navigating your path of life, and all that comes with it, is hard. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes scary, sometimes confusing, sometimes gut-wrenching. But even in the hard things, God has shown me that He is using these things to grow me. So instead of fighting Him, I need to let Him work. College brought a lot of really great things, but it was also hard and there are things that happened I never want to go through again. Looking at where I am now though I know I wouldn't be as strong in my faith or as excited for the months ahead if it wasn't for those challenges. I've heard a statistic once of how more than half of college students who start freshman year with faith leave their senior year without it. At a liberal university that is one of the biggest party schools in the country, I'm thankful that God brought me through to be more solid in my faith in Him. Not only that, but I'm pursuing and working in full-time ministry soon, a development that came about during college. It's only because He is teaching me to say, even if He does not…Yet not as I will, but as You will.
Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (we'll call them Rack, Shack, and Benny like in VeggieTales since their names are a handful to type), how they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's idol and were thrown into the fiery furnace because of this. When the king was threatening them with the furnace they replied:
"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."
- Daniel 3:17-18
Even if he does not… still they will obey, still they will stand firm, still they will worship the one true God.
God has the power to carry us through the flames, but even if He does not He is still worthy of our praise. Rack, Shack, and Benny were kept safe in the blazing furnace. God even sent an angel to hang out with them. We love hearing these kinds of stories too. The book, "The Insanity of God" by Nik Ripken, is loaded with stories of people who faced severe trials and said they know God will care for them and rescue them, but even if He didn't they were still going to praise Him for who He is and what He has already done for them. People in our own lives that are strong like this in the middle of difficulties are people we admire and look up to. The news will even cover stories of people who overcome hard things in their lives.
But even if he does not... What happens when he doesn't save us from the brutal circumstances we're facing? I think this is where a lot of our doubt comes from. We know God is able to save us, but sometimes He doesn't, or it doesn't seem like He does. It's not easy to say, "but even if he does not," I will trust. Even if he does not, nothing else is worth my attention, my love, my praise. When the fire is getting hotter and destruction seems imminent, it's hard to say and believe these things. Maybe, instead, we have a different response that causes us to bring outstretched hands of surrender into clenched fists at our chests. Maybe we close our hearts to what God can bring because they're too broken for us to make sense of anything good coming.
God knows this is hard. He knows because Jesus went through the same thing. Before Jesus was arrested he was in the garden of Gethsemane overcome by sorrow and grief over what he knew was about to happen to him. He was in such agony that his sweat was like blood. Jesus knew the torture he would face and the grueling crucifixion he was about to experience.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
- Matthew 26:39
Doesn't this strangely parallel what we heard from Rack, Shack, and Benny? (Only this time, it's a little more personal to us and it's the Son of God not wanting to face the furnace, which is also ironic because the furnace he was really battling was hell, the ultimate furnace, but I'm getting side tracked.)
Even if he does not… Yet not as I will, but as you will.
Our own God left His thrown in Heaven to come down in the form of a man, walked this earth with us, and suffered through a brutal death while Heaven looked away. Shortly before Jesus died he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Matthew 27:46)?" He knows what it is like to suffer through excruciating circumstances, asking God if there is any other way and wondering where God is. But, because he remained faithful Jesus is alive again with God in Heaven.
Rack, Shack, and Benny were called out of the furnace by the king, who then praised God and promoted the three in their province. So, things ended up working out pretty well for them. But maybe you're still waiting for your happy ending. Well, Jesus had to wait too; 3 days to be precise (although it probably felt longer since he was conquering death and the power of hell). I love Paul's writing to the church in Corinth where he is talking about boasting in the midst suffering. Paul was experiencing persecution and was imprisoned for His ministry, so he knew a thing or two about suffering. He writes of a "thorn" in his skin that is tormenting him and says:
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Steven Furtick of Elevation Church said in a recent sermon that our greatest potential for miracle might be in the form of something we're trying to step over or clear ourselves from. The times when we feel the most out of control are the times when there is the greatest room for God to show His power and strength. Struggle makes us stronger and it allows God the opportunity to reveal Himself to us. It's just not by our will, but His. Maybe that's the biggest struggle; the surrender.
I share this with you because, while there were a lot of great things that happened during my college years, I think this is something that spans over a lot of what I have wrestled with these last few years and have been trying to learn from. Navigating your path of life, and all that comes with it, is hard. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes scary, sometimes confusing, sometimes gut-wrenching. But even in the hard things, God has shown me that He is using these things to grow me. So instead of fighting Him, I need to let Him work. College brought a lot of really great things, but it was also hard and there are things that happened I never want to go through again. Looking at where I am now though I know I wouldn't be as strong in my faith or as excited for the months ahead if it wasn't for those challenges. I've heard a statistic once of how more than half of college students who start freshman year with faith leave their senior year without it. At a liberal university that is one of the biggest party schools in the country, I'm thankful that God brought me through to be more solid in my faith in Him. Not only that, but I'm pursuing and working in full-time ministry soon, a development that came about during college. It's only because He is teaching me to say, even if He does not…Yet not as I will, but as You will.
I'm thankful for this suffering; it's deepened every part of me.
- "Perfect Love," Jeremy Camp
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