Even If…..

Even if things don’t go the way you plan…..will you still praise God?

This morning in my quiet time, I was reading in the book of Daniel. If you remember, I am doing a chronological reading of the Bible, which I am loving by the way! I am 255 days in and just started the book of Daniel.

This morning I was reading in Daniel 3 how Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace because they wouldn’t bow down to his golden idol. We all know the story right? Nebuchadnezzar bound them and threw them in the furnace and when he looked he saw them unbound and 4 figures in the fire instead of 3. When he got them out they were not burnt and their clothes did not smell of smoke. Pretty cool right?

But what really struck me this morning was what they said to the King before he threw them in the fire.

Daniel 3:17-18 “If we are thrown into the burning furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
But even if he does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Even if.
Even if he doesn’t.
Even if he doesn’t save us.

Can you say this about your relationship with God?

That line struck me like a bolt of lightning this morning. But even if.

Even if things don’t happen like I think they should, will I still praise Him?
Even if things go wrong, will I follow Him?
Even if life doesn’t make sense, will I honour Him?

And then God took me to Habakkuk 3:17-18

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

So not only, will I trust Him “even if” but I will also rejoice in Him!

Let’s be honest, life is tough my friends! It is not easy. There are up and down, mountains and valleys and often we feel like we are on a roller coaster when really, we wish we were on a merry go round!

But through it all, will you say even if? Will you rejoice in Him when you are walking through that valley? Will you trust Him when things don’t make sense? Will you rejoice in Him when your heart is breaking?

God is taking me on a journey of trusting Him at the moment. Trusting Him when I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Trusting Him when my world feels like it’s been turned upside down. Trusting that He has a plan and a purpose for my life, even when I cant see it!

And some days it is not easy. But I make a choice every day to say “Even if God. Even if this happens, or if this doesn’t happen, I will praise you. If things turn out different than I thought, I will rejoice in you. Even if…..you are still my God. You have never let me down and you have never left my side and so when things seem unclear I will lift my hands to you and say “Even if.”

Will you?