Becoming a parent changes you. Suddenly all the selfish ambitions, desires, and needs fly out the door. Your life is planned around a nap schedule: “Want to hang out at 1?” (old friend) “ How about 9 am?” (new mom). Can you even remember sitting down to eat breakfast or lunch? For at least 10 years I grazed over food while making their plates and then after they finished eating. As my children have gotten older, I have merged into a new lane, perhaps you are in this one with me, the mercy of the activities schedule. As I wrote this blog I was sitting in my car at cross country practice.
But it is more than all this, we ultimately want our children to be happy, society functioning, and life giving humans.
Even when they don’t listen, we love them.
Even when they make a poor decision, we guide them lovingly through the terrain.
Even when they decide we are the worst parents, we remember when we were their best snuggle partner.
It doesn’t matter what our kids do or say, we will walk to the ends of the earth for them.
Can you say you feel the same about God? Will you still love Him even when your teen chooses drugs? Will you still love Him even when your spouse loses their job? Will you still love Him even when your child dies?
As I was reading Daniel 3, verse 18 hit me like a ton of bricks. But let me give you a little backstory so you can understand the weight of the verse. King Nebuchadnezzar is like many kings at this time, worshiping idols and creating ridiculous rules.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Most people are willing to follow out of fear.
12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The king perhaps out of compassion or just to see these men bow out of fear, he offers them another chance.
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T.
The chances that you would face this same obstacle in life are slim to none. Most of us will never have to hold our faith to the flame in this way. However, life often hits us with some fiery pit moments.
Even if He doesn’t protect my health.
Even if He doesn’t protect our family.
Even if He doesn’t protect our finances.
What are your fiery pit moments that you need to give an even if statement to?
Never in a million years did I envision losing my son as a possible fiery pit moment, but I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus. Losing Alex was torture. But even though He didn’t heal him earthside, God is still good.
The rest of the story goes like this. The king, outraged, not only threw the men into the furnace but he turned the heat seven times hotter.
22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
But the men did not die or were even harmed at all. The result was the king and everyone else witnessing the power of God.
We each have the power to witness.
We don’t have to do anything other than live our life for Jesus even if He didn’t in the fiery circumstance in your life.
