But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. — Daniel 3:18
One of the most aggravating things in life is when things do not go your way. I remember as a child when I wanted things to go my way and I would get mad and frustrated when they didn’t. My son is the same way. He wants things to go his way and when they don’t, he becomes frustrated.
I often hear people share things like “I am going to do…” and they tell me things they intend to do. They don’t give a thought about whether those things would be the will of God or not. They simply share what they want. Other times, I hear people say “God is going to do…” and they share their expectations of God. At times they even seem to barter with God by saying, God, if you will do this thing for me, I will live better, read my Bible more and pray more.
We often set out our expectations and our demands in front of God and many times God blesses us. But what if he doesn’t? As the verse here says, “but if not.” If God were to say no to our expectations and our demands, are we still committed enough to live for Him no matter what?
These Hebrew boys believed that God was more than capable to deliver them out of the fiery furnace. We know from the story that God did just that. But what if God had not? What if the story ended with them in the furnace dying as a martyr for God? I often wonder what might happen in our day if we faced those circumstances.
There are many times we set out our demands to God, saying that we expect His healings, His blessings, and His favor on our lives. But what if He were to say no? Such a move would not make Him any less God and it certainly would not make us any less His children.
A lot of people have become angry at God because He did not respond just as they expected. They had a specific resolution in mind, but that never came. Many people have died praying for healing, mercy, strength, and grace. That does not mean that God did not care and did not hear their prayer.
I’m convinced that sometimes God uses the “but if not” situation in life to show the world examples of faith. I recall the story of Moses and how he was punished not able to enter into Canaan due to his actions. He knew that, but he remained faithful.
Just because God does not handle the situation in our lives as we expect, does not mean He does not care. It does not mean He is not God or not interested in things in our lives. It means that God has something greater that He is working and doing. Don’t lose hope because God did not do exactly as you wanted. Look for the greater thing that God is doing for you.
