When Deliverance Doesn't Look The Way You Want It To

Today's post is inspired by a reading from Daniel 3:16-25, otherwise known as the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. This story is found in the Old Testament, during the time of Israel's exile in Babylon. The then king, Nebuchadnezzar, demanded the people worship a gold image, which goes directly against God's first commandment given through Moses.

"Thou shalt worship no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to bow down to the gold image, even though they knew their refusal would result in them being thrown into a fiery furnace. When they were brought to King Nebuchadnezzar, they said: "...Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Daniel 3:17-18

There are three key things to take from these three wise men.

1. They believed and declared that God is able to deliver them from the immediate, life-taking threat they faced.

2. They believed and declared that God would deliver them from the king's hand.

3. Even if God did not deliver them from the furnace and thus death, they refused to abandon their faith and worship false gods.

This story has always been one of my favorites in the Bible, but having a faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego is not easy. Their faith is made even more profound when you realize that they did not live with the promise of salvation through Jesus the way we do. Jesus had not yet come nor had resurrection theology began spreading, as it does in later verses of the Old Testament. We do see King Nebuchadnezzar say the fourth man in the fire looks like the Son of God. However, Daniel was written in Aramaic not Hebrew and thus the Aramaic word "bar-elahin" more likely translates to "a son of the gods." The king was recognizing a divine being with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He was not recognizing the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as we know Him.

These men had no promise of salvation, resurrection, or Heaven and yet they were still willing to die for their faith.

Because of their profound and powerful faith, God delivered them exactly as they believed He would--completely untouched and unharmed.

"I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Daniel 3:25

"...the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them." Daniel 3:27

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were saved and used by God as a testimony of His power and authority. This testimony was so powerful that King Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord "who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him" Daniel 3:28 and declared that anyone who speaks against their God would be killed. King Nebuchadnezzar said: "There is no other God who can deliver like this." Daniel 3:30

How powerful of a testimony is that? These three men stood firm in their faith. They trusted the Lord. And because of their faith and trust in the Lord, the power and authority of God was revealed to many.

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While the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego reveals to us the importance--and the power--of believing not only that God can deliver us but that He will, it's also important to understand that sometimes deliverance doesn't look the way we want it to. And this is when our faith is truly tested.

We know that no matter what our circumstances are on earth, we are delivered through Christ into salvation. We are saved through the blood of Jesus, and we will have eternal deliverance from death, pain, and suffering. But, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, we face challenges and circumstances in this life that we need deliverance from and the Lord does deliver. But, like these three men, we aren't promised a specific deliverance. We aren't promised a specific outcome.

We are promised that we are not alone in our suffering. We are promised that the Lord is with us. We are promised that the Lord has plans for us, plans to give us a hope and a future. And we know that our God is a God of restoration. But what happens when our restoration or deliverance doesn't look like what we imagined? What happens when we don't get what we want? What if that relationship or child never comes? What if that person you love dies?

I am facing these very questions right now. And the only answer is the one that these three men declare in the face of death. "But if not..." I will remain faithful.

Remaining faithful doesn't mean you don't cry or get angry or wish that things were different. Remaining faithful doesn't mean that you don't mourn the life and love you desired, or the person that you lost. Remaining faithful in the face of disappointment means remembering God's goodness, remembering His presence and drawing near to Him for comfort. It means still worshipping and praising Him, because you still love Him. You still view Him as worthy of praise, even when you didn't get what you wanted.

I think there is a lot of misconception or false teaching in faith communities that tell us to suppress our emotions. We are told not to be angry when things don't work out. We are told not to cry or mourn too intensely because that is a sign of weak faith. But this is the word of man, not the word of God.

The Psalms are full of songs of pain. We see grief and sorrow, anger and protest, disappointment with God, and even the questioning of the Lord's presence expressed by a man--King David--who was after God's own heart.

In the story of Job, we see a man who loses everything and was honest about his anguish. "I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul." Job 7:11 "Why did I not perish at birth?" Job 3:11And yet, Job was a faithful man.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was chosen by God to be His mouthpiece and yet he cursed the day he was born and accused the Lord of deceiving Him. "You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived." Jeremiah 20:7

Jeremiah's emotions didn't disqualify Him from being chosen by God and used by Him in one of the most important and powerful ways. And since we know the Lord cannot be near sin, we also know that our emotions, our cries of anguish, our righteous anger, our doubt and disappointment is not a sin. Is it always good? Not necessarily. But the key to relationship with the Lord is honesty.

When we are honest with the Lord about our feelings, He is able to step into those very emotions. He sits with us through them, and ultimately, delivers us from them.

Maybe God's plan for our life--the hope and future--He promises doesn't look like the life we desired for ourselves. Maybe His deliverance isn't the outcome we prayed for. But we can rest assured there is joy, comfort, calling, purpose, redemption, and deliverance with the Lord as our God.

Faithfulness doesn't require emotional suppression nor does it promise the absence of suffering. Faithfulness does promise deliverance.

Jesus' crucifixion is the ultimate example of a faithful man suffering honestly and receiving deliverance.

"Jesus wept." John 11:35

"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Matthew 26:38

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Jesus Christ suffered. Unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego He was not spared the pain of torture and death. But He was delivered from it and through Him, so are we.

Because of Jesus, we are not alone in our suffering. Because of Jesus, the manifestation of God's love for us, we praise our God in Heaven even when we don't get what we want. And with faithfulness, we will experience the joy and peace of the Lord in this life, even when our life doesn't look like what we want. Our faithfulness in the face of disappointment--even in the face of death--is our testimony.

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Declare Deliverance

1. I believe and declare that my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, is able to deliver me from every trial, temptation, sin, sorrow, and challenging season in this life.

2. I believe and declare that my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, will deliver me from every trial, temptation, sin, sorrow, and challenging season in this life.

3. But if not--even when His deliverance does not look like what I wanted--I will remain faithful.