So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:6
Never before had the furnace been so hot, but King Nebuchadnezzar, in his anger and rage, ordered that it be fired up seven times hotter than it had ever been. In fact, it was so hot that the guards who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace perished from the heat.
What caused the king to be so enraged? It was simply the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the idol the king had erected. Their conviction and faith in the One True God would not allow them to bow down to an idol, even if it meant their death.
Here’s how they responded to the king in Daniel 3:16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
They were confident that God was able to save them from the fiery furnace, and their faith was so strong they knew that even if God in His sovereignty chose not to save them from the flames, He was still worthy of their absolute obedience and worship. It’s that same “even if” faith in us that will cause Jesus to show up on our behalf just as He did for those three Hebrew men. As soon as they were thrown into the fire the king looked into the furnace and could see a “fourth Man” walking around with them and acknowledged “he is liken unto the Son of God.”
Not only were they rescued from the furnace, without even a hair being singed or the smell of smoke on them, they were also promoted that day. When we honor God with “even if” faith, He will use our faith and our lives to show the world His power and glory.
Today, let’s determine, by the grace and help of the Lord, that we will not bow to the world’s demands but rather stand firm and strong, “even if.”