If God Doesn’t
Sometimes life is hard to understand. Most of us have a preconceived notion about how we want or think that things should happen. The fact is, through experience, we know that it doesn’t always happen that way. Our life goes sideways, and sometimes it seems as if our whole world is falling apart. Last time I wrote, we talked about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and their experience with the fiery furnace. The point was that they had complete trust in God, and God provided a unique miracle to save them. But what if God hadn't? Obviously, He did. We can see His power and control over all situations, no matter how bad. You and I know that this isn't the case in every situation. So I ask you the question, "If God doesn't," and you can fill in the rest from your experience.
Let’s look at a couple of verses from this text. Daniel 3:17, 18. "If be so, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Without question, these three men believed that God was going to deliver them. But they also opened the door to an alternate outcome. They said it didn't matter whether God would rescue them or not. They were not going to go against the facts of God and who He is. They would trust in Him. It was not because of who they were, or the king and who his gods were, but it was solely because of who God is, in life or death, in every situation, in every outcome, He can be trusted.
A good example is the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12. He starts by talking about being caught up into the third heaven. It was a powerful experience. But because of the magnitude of this experience and probability of it making him proud, God allowed a messenger of Satan to come into his life to help keep him humble. He called it his "thorn in the flesh." We don't know what it was, but it tormented him, made his life miserable. What is our response when things get tough? We pray. Paul said he implored God three times that it might go away. Three times God said, "no." At least two reasons are given, (1) to keep him humble, and (2), so he would trust God, who is the real power. The big picture here is that God knows everything and sees the complete picture, and will do what is ultimately best in time and eternity. We want simple, painless, more convenient, but God knows and wants what is best.
Let’s wrap this together and think about how this relates to knowing how to pray. In John 16, Jesus says that we are to ask the Father in His name, and the Father will give it. When you consider that in chapter 15, Jesus has provided a discourse about the vine and the branches. He is the vine, and we are the branches. He says that unless you are intimately attached to Him, you are not going to bear fruit. This is key. When we are that close to Him, we are going to be able to understand better how to pray in His name. That is why John can say in I John 5:14, 15, that if you ask anything according to His will, He will hear you and give you what you ask. It isn't the credit card of Jesus, it is the intimate relationship with Him that helps you to know Him and what He desires.
I want to close with another text, Isaiah 43:1, 2. But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flames burn you." Although this is directly given to the nation of Israel, it has substantial implications for every follower of Jesus Christ as it reflects the very nature of God. No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can trust Him. He may not remove you from the water or the fire, but He will go through them with you. It is interesting to me that King Nebuchadnezzar saw four people in the flames when they had only thrown in three. He said the fourth one looks like a son of the gods. What he did not realize is that it was the Son of God. He was going through the fire with them as He will go through the fire with you.
Pastor Lynn Rettig
Musselshell Community Bible Church
JESUS WAS THERE
As I sat reading the exciting tale of Gideon in Judges chapter 6, I was reminded of how patient God is. God called Gideon to deliver His people from the hands of the Midianites who were abusing them. Gideon asked for sign after sign that this was really God. Instead of saying, “Buzz off, fella, I’ll get someone with a little more faith”, God met his every request for a sign. The first one was waiting until Gideon went out and killed a calf, prepared the meat, cooked it and served it. Then, God just called fire down from heaven and burnt the whole deal up. Amazing. Gideon was still not sure. Then we have the famous fleece tests.
If you read the account for yourself, you will see that it is really Jesus in His preincarnate form who visits Gideon and talks with him. Sometimes Jesus is called THE angel of the Lord and sometimes He is referred to as Lord. Whenever THE ANGEL of the Lord is referred to in the Old Testament, it means Jesus. Just as THE WORD in the New Testament means Jesus. Jesus speaks with Abraham about the destruction about to come upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus speaks to Manoah and his wife about the soon to be born Samson. Jesus speaks to Gideon about His Father’s plans for the oppressors in their midst. Jesus walks with the 3 men in the fiery furnace to save their lives in the book of Daniel. All throughout the Old Testament, when THE is used – in English it means a specific person, place or thing – it refers to Jesus. It was THE ANGEL of the Lord who prevented Abraham from offering his son as a sacrifice. It seems that Jesus shows up everywhere in the Old Testament just in time to prevent disaster.
Jesus has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He shows up just when we need Him the most. He comes to our rescue time after time and instead of thanking Him and giving Him credit, we ‘thank our lucky stars’, thank ‘fate’, thank ‘coincidence’, thank ‘luck’, the list goes on. My friends, it is Jesus. We need to see His hand in all our trials, call out to Him for deliverance and He will save us just as He did all those folk in the Old Testament. Learn to see Jesus, practice looking for Him in every situation, give Him the praise, the glory, the thanks.
I cringe every time I hear about “Mother Nature” on the news. There is no such thing. Only Father God and His Son, Jesus, Who has all power and authority on heaven and earth. We don’t need anyone else!
Rev. Joyce Kaplan, M.Div.
Retired United Church of Christ Pastor.
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