This morning we looked at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), one of the most memorable miracles in the Old Testament. We saw, however, that it was the ‘even if…’ faith of these men which opened the door to the miraculous. Their ordinary stand for God, refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, took courage and faith. They were secure in their knowledge of who God was and believed that He was not only able to deliver them but that He would do so, yet they also faced the consequences of what would happen if He did not do so and still refused to compromise.
Civil disobedience is sometimes necessary (Acts 5:29), and these three men were unwavering in their commitment to God. They had counted the cost (see Luke 14:28033, Mark 8:34-38) and rightly feared God more than Nebuchadnezzar (see Luke 12:4-5). They had set their minds and affection upon the one true God, and no matter what their natural eyes might tell them or what others said or if the worst thing actually happened, they were prepared to die for their principles rather than compromise their beliefs.
Miracles come when people declare this kind of faith in God. Miracles come when our own wellbeing no longer has priority in our thinking, when we long to honour God in everything we do and say. Miracles come when we are prepared to lay down our lives for a higher cause, when God is so important to us that even if what we long for does not happen, we will still choose to trust Him and believe in His goodness. God literally stepped into the furnace with them and protected them so that their clothes were not scorched and they did not even smell of fire. (Daniel 3:27) We can be confident in the God we serve and can, like these men, honour God by our ‘even if…’ faith and our determination to praise Him, no matter what.