But if not...
Daniel, feted and promoted by the king, had asked that his three companions should be appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Did he think they would be safer away from Nebuchadnezzar's court? The king, however, decided that the civil service of the provinces needed a lesson in obedience. They were all to bow down before a golden idol. If they refused they would die in a fiery furnace.
There is a story that an officer organising the evacuation of troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 sent his family a telegram which simply said, 'But if not...' He knew they would know what he meant. He longed for rescue, but he would trust God whatever the outcome.
For the three servants of the Lord God of Israel, their spectacular story had a miraculous ending, as they walked out of the fire unharmed. But they didn't know how it would end when they refused to obey the king's command. Disciples of the living God have no guarantee of special favours or an easy life. A gospel that expects health and prosperity in exchange for faith makes faith and trust meaningless.
There were just three of them in a powerfully intimidating situation, thousands of miles from home and from fellow believers, not knowing whether, back in Jerusalem, any of the structures and observances of their faith still survived. Some Christian minorities today still face vicious persecution for refusing to bow to godless power, whether in the form of discriminatory laws or vengeful mobs.
For most of us the challenge may come from sceptical and sometimes belligerently hostile attitudes to our faith. But when we are tempted to fudge an issue of integrity, to concede and compromise, then our witness, like theirs, is to our Lord who walks with us in the fiery places. When we long with all our hearts for an outcome that matters very much, we too have to say, 'But if not'. We know that 'all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose'.
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