But even if He does not, ...

In Daniel 3, we read about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar made a huge golden image in Babylon and ordered all men of every language to fall down and worship the image. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Jews who were overseeing the affairs of the province of Babylon, did not worship the image, even at the threat of being thrown alive into a blazing furnace. They said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Their faith shines brightly, not only because they believed that God would be able to rescue them even from a blazing furnace, but all the more because they believed that even if God did not, they would only serve Him and not bow down to the image.

Often when we pray because we are in a situation of a need, we pray to be relieved from the situation. As we pray, we certainly believe that God is able to come to our rescue. What we often forget is that even if He does not, He is still doing what is best for us. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). It is not up to us to dictate what the goodness means; whatever God chooses to do is good, because He is good.

Earlier this year, I had an episode of a heart attack, a totally unexpected event for someone of my age and medical history. Even as recently as two years ago, I had a negative stress test, but at the time of the heart attack, I ended up requiring 6 stents for multiple blockages in the coronary arteries. Then a few months later, my wife was found to have a breast cancer and is now expected to undergo a long series of treatments, including surgery, radiation, and perhaps even chemotherapy.

Experiencing all these is certainly a life stress. One might even ask, "Why is it happening to us? Is God not caring for us any longer?" To ask such a question and doubt God's love would be exactly the wrong thing to do. I believe in Him and His faithfulness to me and to my family, whether we stay in perfect health all the time (which He is certainly capable of granting to us) or we become deathly ill and suffer through the treatment processes as well as any ill effects of the diseases themselves. I am certainly willing to wait and see how God chooses to display His work through all these events (John 9:3). Whether healthy or ill, I praise the Lord and His faithfulness. Hallelujah!