Yet I Will Praise You: The Fiery Furnace

History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley.

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No one is guaranteed an easy and comfortable life. No one is free from hardship and pain. Because we are living in a world groaning under the weight of sin, we are surrounded by tragedy, sorrow, and difficulty, and we all carry our own list of suppositions. 

What if I lose my job and can’t provide for my family?
What if I never get married?
What if my cancer never goes into remission?
What if I never bring home a baby?
What if my deepest longings are never fulfilled or my worst fears come true?

In the face of all of these “what ifs” it is easy to wonder if God is truly sufficient. We often operate under the mindset that God is enough as long as He fills a certain quota of our desires. His sufficiency is based on our satisfaction with life. With this perspective, our faithfulness and devotion to God also becomes dependent on our currently level of contentment. 

We don’t want to give up our dreams or surrender the things we desire. And it is natural for us to begin to feel as though we deserve these things. The more we feel as though God owes us, the more we cheapen His worthiness in our hearts. But what if we chose to live with a different perspective? What if we chose to love God, not because of what He can do for us, but because of who He is? What if we chose to worship Him simply because He is worthy of all praise and adoration? 

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King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had besieged Jerusalem and taken captive Israel’s most skilled, accomplished, and brilliant inhabitants to be taught to serve within his courts. Among those deported to Babylon were Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego). These men were educated for three years in the language and literature of the Babylonians, during which time God caused them to greatly excel in everything they were taught. When the time came to be presented before the King, Nebuchadnezzar was amazed at their wisdom, and found no one equal to them among the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. They continued to find favor with the King, and were given positions of high honor and authority within the kingdom. 

Some time later, King Nebuchadnezzar built a giant golden image, gathered the people before it, and commanded that when the music began to play everyone was to bow down to worship the statue. Anyone who refused to comply would be thrown into a fiery furnace. 

When the music began, it was brought to the King’s attention that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not bowed down before his golden image. In a rage, the King had these men brought before him and gave them one last change to obey his command. But rather than giving into the King’s wishes, they responded:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
-Daniel 3:16-18

But even if He doesn’t…

These men stood courageously before the King, in the face of death, and proclaimed that their God was enough. When the music began to play they didn’t ask, “What if we get caught? What if this decision costs us our lives?” Instead, they determined in their hearts to praise God, no matter the outcome. 

They knew that even if the worst happened, God was enough. They were able to face death without fear because they knew that no matter what happened, God would be with them, and He would be glorified. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego watched as the King ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter. They stood and waited as they were bound by some of the strongest men in the King’s army. And I don’t think it escaped their notice that the flames killed the soldiers who led them to the furnace even while they were being tossed in.

But God was with them. He was with them while they stood before the King. He was with them as they were tied up and led to their deaths. And He was with them in the fire. Even when things looked as bad as they could possibly be for these young men, God never left them. And even when it seemed as though their worst fears were coming true, they did not turn their backs on God. 

When King Nebuchadnezzar saw that there were four men in the flames instead of three, he approached the furnace as close as he could get and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here” (Daniel 3:26). And they did. They walked out of the furnace that was supposed to have killed them. “The fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke” (Daniel 3:27).

God was indeed glorified in all of this. The King himself began to praise God just moments after having commanded his people to bow down to the idol he had created. Everyone gathered there that day was witness to the mighty power and protection of our great God! 

We are not guaranteed an escape from sorrow and difficulty in our lives. And in the face of our own worst case scenarios, our outcome may not turn out the same way as it did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You may never be healed of your cancer. You may never bring home a baby. You may never have a job that allows you to live free from financial stress. But you can still choose to praise God in the midst of these trials. You can still be as confident as these men were, that God is sufficient even if the worst happens. He is still with you. He is still worth it. He is still worthy of our worship and adoration. Even in your deepest ache, God is still good, He is still sovereign, and He is still enough. 

As you read through these final words from the prophet Habakkuk, let them become your prayer as you determine in your heart to praise God no matter what this life holds for you. 

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!”
-Habakkuk 3:17-19

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This post originally appeared on the blog on December 30, 2015.

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Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of I AM (Hope Mommies, 2017) and Identity (Hope Mommies, 2018). She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.

Are you a writer who would like to join the blog team? Learn more and apply here.

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