“He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods” — Dan. 3:17,1817If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (Daniel 3:17‑18).
THERE is something very fine about the confidence expressed by these three young Hebrews. It was not necessary for God to deliver them from the furnace, if it were not His will. They could trust Him anyway. If He did not quench the flame He would give grace to endure, and they knew that in another world all would be appraised at its true value. It is a great lesson we all need to learn.
“A scoffing world is looking on,
The furnace glows with furious heat;
The test is real, the foe is near,
Waiting to witness my retreat.
Hosts of evil gather round me,
The Son of God seems lost to view.
Oh, for faith to meet the crisis;
Oh, for the courage to go through!
What, this sudden sweet empow’ring?
Whence, this strange, exultant cry?
If my God comes not, I’ll trust Him,
Though to trust Him means to die!”
—Margaret Denison Armstrong.