Even If He Does Not

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King 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 deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Dan 3:16-18

It has been said that faith is spelt R.I.S.K.

The decision of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego may be the ultimate example of this.

Unlike the "faith preachers" of today, they did not believe that simply having enough faith in God would make them immune from hardships. Theirs was not absolute trust in faith but absolute trust in God.

Faith To Surrender
Firstly, they had the faith to surrender themselves to the circumstance. They did not try to hide away in the hope that no-one would notice their absence. They did not avoid the issue but faced it head on.

Faith To Stand 
Secondly, they had the faith to stand when everyone else was bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's statue. Man looks at the outward appearance but God sees the heart (1 Sam 16:7) so perhaps they they might have thought they could get away with making physical obeisance while keeping their hearts set on God. But instead they chose to stand amongst a crowd of prostrate people. Their faith was visible to all.

Faith To Sacrifice
Thirdly, and this is what sets Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego apart from those who believe you only need enough faith to avoid the unpleasant aspects of life, they were willing to trust God even if it cost them their lives. They knew God could save them. But even if they had to die an excruciating death in the flames, they would not deny Him.

Great faith is not believing God for the impossible but trusting Him through the unbearable.

The Day Of Small Things

Jesus said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

God In The Small Things
Who dares despise the day of small things? Zech 4:10

One tiny drop of Holy Spirit power is all it takes. We can work hard to do great things for God in our own strength and achieve absolutely nothing at all.

But when we discover where the Holy Spirit is at work and we begin to cooperate with Him, the ripples will extend well beyond our sphere of influence.

This idea of small things making a big difference is seen throughout Scripture.

Gideon's army was reduced to 32,000 men to 300 before God would allow them to defeat the Midianite hordes.

God took a shepherd to slay a giant.

Jesus spoke of faith the size of a mustard seed being all that was required to move a mountain and took a single packed lunch to feed over 5,000 people.

And to Paul He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God can do far more through one person's small step of obedience than through a church-load of people with bright ideas.

God Gets The Glory 
Why is this?

It's actually quite simple.

When we achieve things in our own strength, we get the glory. But when God uses ordinary weak people the glory is all His. And He will not share His glory with anyone (Is 42:8, 48:11)

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ 1 Cor 1:26-31

We don't need to be in a rush to do things for God. If we think we are ready for Him to use then, almost certainly, we are not. God calls on us to wait until the Holy Spirit comes upon us.

Then the smallest things He asks us to do will have ripples way beyond what we can imagine (Eph 3:20).