True Faith

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!  You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon:Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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.” (Dan. 3:8-18)

The faithfulness and confidence of this statement is staggering. In the face of pending doom, and the smell of inevitability the three young Hebrew men declare “God is able.” There is no positive confession, or name-it-and-claim-it. They simply say, “God is able.” There is no twisting of God’s arm. There is no faith in faith. There is no “we don’t receive that.” Rather, there is the simple trust in God being able.

“God is able” is the testimony of true faith. It evidences a trust in Him and yet, it resolves to be content with how a sovereign God resolves our lives. Should God deliver us, then we will be delivered. Should he choose not to deliver us, he is still God and worthy of every ounce of our praise. Should he desire to deliver us; should it please him to rescue us from the flames, we will give him the praise. Should he not; should we suffer the pangs of death, and the hardship and heartache of being faithful in a faithless world, we will with our last breath still only praise him. My life belongs to him. Let him do with it what brings him glory, for I know it will be good for me.