Even If...Part 1: Put It Into Practice
Maintaining a strong faith in God despite our circumstances can be very difficult. We get discouraged, confused, angry, feel betrayed, and so many other emotions. Sometimes the situations we experience seem to be contrary to what God says about Himself. For example, in Luke 18:7-8a (NIV), Jesus says, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
But what if a crime was committed against you, but that person got away with it? What if they seemed to be prospering and enjoying life; would you still trust God even then?
It is easier to answer yes than to live that yes out in the midst of painful circumstances. We need to resolve to follow God even if He doesn’t heal our loved one, even if we have to endure terrible suffering, even if despite being faithful, things don’t go the way we think they should. That is difficult because that means choosing to honor, worship, and trust God in the midst of disappointment.
What I love about the Bible is that nothing is sugar coated. We see people lose much and yet come out victorious. But, that victory doesn't come easily. There are costs. The people we learn about are relatable and the lessons are so relevant to our lives today. We can learn so much about maintaining our faith in God despite our circumstances from their stories. God used Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to teach me this lesson.
In the book of Daniel, God allowed the Jews to be taken captive by the nation of Babylon. In chapter 1, we learn that the king of Babylon had young Israelite men from the royal family and the nobility brought into his service (v.3). They were “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace” (v.4a). Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the captives chosen for the three year training to enter into the king’s service (v.6). In verse 7 we read, “The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
These men lost a great deal. They were taken captive, had their names stripped from them, and had their futures decided for them. They would have had guaranteed prosperous lives in Judah because they came from either royalty or nobility and showed great promise. Had Babylon not invaded, the opportunities would have been amazing for them. Yes, these young men had good lives compared to the poor captives, but when you have much power and privilege, captivity is still a great loss.
Fast forward to the event recounted in chapter 3 in the book of Daniel. We learn that King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden idol and ordered everyone in Babylon to worship it. Anyone who did not, would be "thrown into a blazing furnace" (v.4-6). Some astrologers came forward and reported to the king, "...there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up” (v.12).
The king was infuriated and had the three men brought to him. He gave them an ultimatum, either bow down and worship the idol or be thrown into the blazing furnace (v.13-15). Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah) responded bravely. They said, "“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” (v.17-18). These men had an even if attitude. They were ready to trust and serve God no matter their circumstances. Even in the face of death.
So, how do we cultivate an even if attitude? This post, as well as the following two will explore just that.
The first way we learn to cultivate an even if attitude is by putting it into practice. Sometimes we wait for the attitude to develop before we act on it, but we can develop an attitude by FIRST acting in that direction. If we continue to act on the attitude we want to have, in time it will develop in us. The fiery furnace was not the first time Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah made the choice to trust and honor God even if....
Looking back to what we learn in Daniel chapter 1, these men were taken captive, stripped of their identity, and expected to serve their captor king. They went from being served to having to serve the king of their enemy nation. Their culture was stripped from them as they were renamed, taught the Babylonian language, and literature.
Names held great meaning for the Israelites. The name Hananiah means “God is gracious”. Mishael means “who is like God”. Azariah means “God has helped” (All these name meanings came from the book Who’s Who in the Bible, edited by George Barr, 1975). All their names pointed to the goodness and majesty of God. It was a constant reminder of why they should trust, honor, and obey Him. The names they were given in Babylon, however, did not reflect that. (The following name meanings come from the lexicon on blueletterbible.com). The name Shadrach means "royal" or "the great scribe". Meshach means "guest of a king". Abednego means "servant of Nebo" (Nebo was a Chaldean god). These names reflected who the Babylonians claimed they were.
Looking back to what we learn in Daniel chapter 1, these men were taken captive, stripped of their identity, and expected to serve their captor king. They went from being served to having to serve the king of their enemy nation. Their culture was stripped from them as they were renamed, taught the Babylonian language, and literature.
Names held great meaning for the Israelites. The name Hananiah means “God is gracious”. Mishael means “who is like God”. Azariah means “God has helped” (All these name meanings came from the book Who’s Who in the Bible, edited by George Barr, 1975). All their names pointed to the goodness and majesty of God. It was a constant reminder of why they should trust, honor, and obey Him. The names they were given in Babylon, however, did not reflect that. (The following name meanings come from the lexicon on blueletterbible.com). The name Shadrach means "royal" or "the great scribe". Meshach means "guest of a king". Abednego means "servant of Nebo" (Nebo was a Chaldean god). These names reflected who the Babylonians claimed they were.
Despite the attempt to strip their dedication to and identity in the Lord, these men held firmly to Him. They did not simply adapt to their situation at the expense of their beliefs and God honoring customs. Chapter 1 tells us that the young men were “assigned a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table” (1:5a), however, they chose not to “defile themselves” by consuming it (v.8). They still put the Lord first. This was something much smaller than a fiery furnace, but, nonetheless, they were putting into practice their even if mindset. You don't get to a decision to honor God despite great loss unless you begin to cultivate a habit of honoring God amidst smaller ones.
Begin to cultivate an even if attitude by acting on it. Choose to honor God despite what others may say about you, despite how you feel, and despite what culture tells you is correct. Choose to live according to His Word and standard. As you begin putting this mindset into practice, the sacrifices will become easier because you begin living out the attitude that you will give anything to Him and He can ask anything of you. It doesn't mean it won't hurt or be scary, but responding in obedience will become more of a reflex for you.
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Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading my post. I wanted to let you know that I am holding an online fundraiser on behalf of Speed the Light. To learn more about this organization and/or to donate, please click on the following link. Thank you for your support!
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A portion of this post was also published on the blog Glorious Mom on October 17, 2019 under the title How to have faith and strength in hard times: the “even if” factor. You can visit the blog here: https://gloriousmomblog.com
Susan and Jason have three young kids, and their middle child has autism. Susan works part-time from home, and her husband is the worship pastor at their church in Chicago. Susan is on a journey to maintain contentment and joy in life despite its imperfections. She loves to share everything she’s learned with other moms on the same journey.
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