Sometimes the way we pray is a little manipulative. We say we want the Lord’s will. We might even say it in the prayer itself. But what we really mean is that we want Him to do what we want the way we want it – and we really hope He wants that too. Some traditions even up the ante a little. You can pray AND FAST – and that will surely get the job done. Fasting, we sometimes believe (even if only subconsciously) will let the Lord know just how serious we are – that we are even willing to give up something we love in exchange for the thing we want Him to do for us. We never ACTUALLY say any of these things, of course. In fact, just thinking that perhaps this could be true make us uncomfortable. But deep down – sometimes we do think this.
This all gets very, very serious when things go completely sideways. When someone we love has cancer. When the tornado or the hurricane is headed our way. When the much-prayed-for pregnancy starts to bleed. When a child runs away. When the next shooting headline or war or epidemic is in a place where our loved ones are. When danger comes knocking at our door… Our hearts and minds run to prayer, but are we really content to let His will be done?
What if His will run completely contrary to ours? What if His idea of healing is eternal rest and wholeness? What if His perfect plan for our future looks like our definition of disaster? What if the road to great gain passes directly through the valley of great loss? What if His story of redemption involves a gruesome crucifixion?
See, we tend to be pretty short-range thinkers. Children are short-range thinkers. Children don’t know much about long-term, because they haven’t really been around for a long time. As adults, we have a much longer perspective on most things than kids do, because we’ve seen a lot more, and we’ve watched how things work out with time. But no matter how long we live – even if we could live like Methuselah – we will never have the long-range perspective of a God outside time. We can’t even envisage that kind of long-range view. We have no idea what that looks like.
Or do we?
Compare Peter, or John, or Mary’s perspective of the crucifixion with your own. Who had a better picture of what was really going on? We do, of course. Because we have the whole story plus 2,000 additional years of church history to see that play out. But we forget about that when we are standing face-to-face with our own greatest loss. We are caught in the pain of the moment, and our long-range view is cut down to the length of our own line of sight.
But then sometimes, we can rise above the moment, and catch a glimpse that something bigger is at play. Even if we don’t know what the play is, we know the story is bigger, and that we can trust the Story-Writer.
That was the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. These guys were faith giants! Their world had already been rocked more than we can imagine. They had been kidnapped as teens by marauding bands of invaders, enslaved in a foreign land to serve an enemy king, forced to take new and foreign names, and indoctrinated for 3 years in a strange language, culture, and religion. And all the while, they resisted changing on the inside and became so respected that they were given positions of influence and power in the foreign kingdom. It seemed they had beat the odds. But then, jealous colleagues ratted them out to the narcissistic and volatile king for secretly keeping with their worship of God, and the gig was up. The king that had admired them decided to kill them instead. But they didn’t bat an eye.
They were called in to see him, and they knew what was going down. Their secret was out, but they didn’t waver. He even gave them an out – “Hey guys – did you really say you wouldn’t bow before my image? Because if that’s true, I’m about to have you burned in a furnace. Let me give you one more chance…”
These guys’ answer was truly epic. “O Nebucchadnezer (they don’t even call him “King” – that’s how close these guys are to this powerful ruler!), we don’t even need to answer your question. Our God, whom we DO serve (despite your edict), is able to deliver us from your furnace. (Because He outranks you.) BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T – let it be known by you, that we will still worship Him and Him alone, and we will never bow to your image – Sir.”
Now THAT is some bold faith! I don’t know what kind of discussion went on between these 3 guys before they were shoved trembling in front of the most powerful ruler on earth at that time. I don’t know if all they got were knowing glances, or if they discussed their options together. Did they talk about this long before – just in case the day would come? Was Daniel in on the pact too? Did he know his friends were being dragged before the tyrant? We don’t know. But what we do know, was that these guys had a long-range view.
They didn’t even have the crucifixion and resurrection in their rearview mirror, like we do. They only had an unfulfilled promise of a Messiah, and a path littered with tragedy. But they were unshakeable. Our God can do this – but even if He decides not to, and we burn like twigs – we will worship Him anyway.
Can we say that?
What situation are you facing, or have you faced, that looks that bleak? Can you set your face on worship regardless? What dream do you have that you might have to give up – if His plan doesn’t match yours in the moment?
In these 10 years of ministry with Accessible Hope, there have been several times when these questions faced us, and faced me personally, in the midst of severe challenges. There have been “even if” tests. Situations that looked bleak and dark and disastrous. Situations over which I/we had no control. Situations that demanding either caving, or saying – “Our God, whom we serve, can rescue us. But even if He doesn’t – we will serve and worship Him anyway.” Those are the moments that test us.
I don’t imagine that Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego stood before the king without fear. That would be insanity. But courage is facing fear with faith. And looking up to see that your enemies are dead, and your Savior walks the fire with you. Take courage. He is there. And His view is much, much longer than yours.
