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March 18, 2021

But Even if He Does Not

March 18, 2021 by LAURIE M. PROTECTION/SAFETY Fear Trust
But Even if He Does Not
"King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it...." Cont.
Daniel 3

I have been shocked to hear so much teaching recently that if people follow the Lord and do what the Bible teaches, trouble will never befall them. This is spiritual malpractice. 


While there is wisdom in following instructions from the Lord, we are not guaranteed a life of protection and safety. In fact, Jesus himself said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” 


God does not promise us safety or to keep us from all harm and suffering, but he does promise us His presence. 


When the three Jews were questioned for not bowing to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold, they were threatened with immediate death by fire. 


But the men were confident enough in the deity of Yahweh that they would not bend their knees to an idol. They were confident of the power of God to deliver them from death in the fire, though they knew there was no guarantee He would. Their words, “but even if he does not...” have been reverberating through my heart. 


Upon arriving in a new city, one of my young kids whispered to me over dinner, “Mom, we have to be very careful who we talk to about Jesus here. If we talk about Jesus, they’ll kill us.”  


I could not tell my child that everything would be okay. Or that we would be fine. Or safe. I also was not about to move away so we would be safer. Even in that moment, God gave me the grace to answer, “Sweetheart, God will be with us. We will pray for wisdom to talk to just the right people at just the right time. And we will not be foolish. But we will live here and love these people so they, too, might know they are loved.” 


There will be many dangerous or risky moments. We will have to continually count the cost for ourselves and for our families. We may suffer danger, tragedy, and loss. Some of us will need to turn back for various reasons. But through it all, God is with us. And we continue so that others may be with us in the life to come.  


May we not be a people that bows so we can stay out of the fire. May we also not be a people that believes we are tough enough to face any risk on our own. Rather, may we be a people who clings to the Lord and brings glory to His name wherever He may place us and whatever might come our way. 

Closing Prayer
Jesus, keep us. Keep our eyes on you. Let us hold fast to you and bow only to you. Give us wisdom and let us be so attuned to your voice that we only go or stay because you have spoken. Lord, give us the courage to stand, the humility to trust you, and the steadfastness to endure with you. For your Kingdom’s sake and for your glory, Amen.
Resources
Book: The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken This book is written out of the experience of a family serving for years in a limited access nation. Ripken shares of the deep losses his family and the local church incurred. He meets with believers from other limited access or closed countries to learn how they persevere in their faith–and even thrive–while undergoing persecution.
Question for Reflection

While danger and loss are certainly possible, we don’t go looking for it. How do you process the fear, trauma, and stress of enduring dangerous situations or of potentially facing dangerous situations?

Comments
Laurie M.
March 18, 2021

We had a season where our activities gave us increased visibility and increased risk. I knew we were in the Lord’s hands, but I had to bring my fears to the Lord and admit them. I then had to bring them to a few other people. We needed to have a few trustworthy and level-headed people who would pray with us and discern if a given situation was worth the risk. When I stuffed the fear down and tried to muscle through, I was a basket case. However, when I shared my fears with a few trusted people, the fear no longer had power over me. I was free to discern what was best, to trust, and to obey without shame.