If not, what?

If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. - Daniel 3:17–18

This is the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to King Nebuchadnezzar when they were at the brink of death. Although I learned this verse during my Sunday school days, it was only when I was teaching my child his memory verse that I truly understood its meaning. What a revelation it is when something you have known for a long time suddenly makes new sense! I love how the Holy Spirit reveals the hidden depths of the Bible to us.

We can categorize our praises into three types:

1. Praising God for His goodness toward us.

This is the most common type. We hear it every day, and it feels almost natural to thank and praise God when He saves us from a terrible illness or a challenging situation. This is like giving thanks for the blessings we already have. It’s something we do all the time.

2. Praising God in a difficult situation with the hope that everything will turn out fine.

David's psalms are a great example of this. As we saw in the previous blog, "Unsure Times," many of David’s psalms were written during moments of deep distress. Yet, he was confident that God would deliver him, and he hoped for better days ahead. Maybe we can strive to be like this.

3. Praising God even if He does not deliver us from the difficult situation.

This is a whole new level, isn’t it? In the first two categories, we either receive something from God or hope to receive something. But what happens when the thing you’re praying for doesn’t happen? Many people might drift away from God at that point. But not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.They were confident that God could save them, yet their faith was not dependent on the outcome. Their trust wasn’t rooted in what they could receive, but in God Himself. Can we ever be like this?

Do we go to God because we need something from Him? Or do we go to Him simply because we love Him? If our love for Him is genuine, then no matter what happens, nothing can separate us from Him. This love isn’t based on blessings, but on who God is.

There’s a profound difference between these two approaches. So, the question we must ask ourselves is: "What if the thing you prayed for doesn’t happen? Do you still have the same love for God?"

BUT IF NOT... WE STILL LOVE HIM.

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