Hope For The Hurting

By John Powell

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

You’ve heard the story since childhood of the three men thrown into the fiery furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Refusing to bow down before idols, they were bound and brought before King Nebuchadnezzar.

It must have been an intimidating situation (think if you were brought before the president with all the pomp and ceremony). I want you to focus on what they said.

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us”(Daniel 3:17).“But if not, we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Read it again,“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. But if not...”

In other words,“Our God is able to deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we still will not worship your idols! We would rather die than turn against our God!”

What about you and your illness, your trouble, your situation? You know God can answer. You know He can meet your need. You’ve prayed and tried to put the situation in God’s hands. But what if He never answers your prayers? What if you go to your grave never seeing God move in your trial?

Perhaps no human has ever suffered so much for so long than Job. He lost his children, his possessions, and his health, all within a matter of minutes. But, he never lost his faith.

Job was still able look with all confidence toward Heaven and proclaim, “Though He slay Me, yet will I trust Him!” (Job 13:15).

Somewhere between the front and back covers of Habakkuk’s little book, a great work was performed by God is his heart. Habakkuk opened his book with the lament,“O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!”

But somewhere inbetween, it no longer mattered whether God answered or not. Habakkuk closed his book with these words...

“For though the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 1:2; 3:17-18).

My God can heal. He can deliver. He can answer my prayer. He can meet my need.

But if not...

I will trust Him.

I will rejoice in Him.

I will not bow.