“The God we serve is able to save us . . but even if He does not.” Daniel 3:17-18 NIV
“God’s character is righteous; His wisdom is unquestioned, and His love has no limits.”
My thoughts today are about “unthinkable!”
There are some things that just should not be the way they are. Good people should not have bad things happen to them. In the same way, it would seem only fair that good things should not happen for bad people. You have seen such occasions, though. How did you feel? What did you think? Is it unthinkable to you that someone – interpret that as a righteous God – with the power to right such wrongs would fail to do so – God able to save and doesn’t? Unthinkable!
King David struggled honestly with such apparent inequity, and maybe you will as well. “As for me, my feet had almost slipped . . when I saw the prosperity of the wicked . . when I tried to understand this, it was painful to me.” Psalm 73 NIV. Every generation has seen moments that begged the question, “Why does the righteous man suffer; why does the wicked man prosper?” Unthinkable! Job asked those same questions, as I imagine Joseph and Daniel did, as well as others in every generation.
Isn’t that how you first feel when you hear this story of three servants of God boldly standing for righteousness yet cruelly thrown into a fiery furnace by an angry, ego maniacal and ungodly ruler? Such punishment was not for any wrong they had done, except to politely decline an act of idolatry demanded of them.
Consider the cast of characters in this real life, Old Testament morality play. There is a person of abusive authority with power to bend another’s will to do as he pleases, or inflict immeasurable pain and peril. There are three individuals trying hard to do what is right, but given two options, neither of which is viable. And then there is a righteous, holy, and all-powerful God that seems to do nothing to prevent or stop injustice. Unthinkable!
But isn’t this drama acted out still today in one way of another – unjust demands and unfair treatment by those with authority in government, financial lending, law enforcement, judicial processes, business, church, or family? Where is God while this is happening? He is building a Kingdom where righteousness will always prevail, where the Godly are rewarded and the guilty are punished. Read Isaiah 32:1-8 NLT.
The height of trust is not found in your believing for God’s rescue, but in your unshakable persuasion of God’s righteous faithfulness and total trust in His wisdom. Here is the unavoidable question to be answered in your heart. In discussion with Abraham, God asks, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:26 NIV. Unthinkable that He would not! See Romans 11:33-36 NIV. How do you answer that for yourself? Can you trust God completely, even when you do not understand His ways? See Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT. Trust God anyway!
Real faith answers the unanswerable, as did the three Hebrews, “But even if He does not . . we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold.” Daniel 3:17-18 NIV. God is God even though you do not understand at the moment; His character is righteous, His wisdom is unquestioned, and His love has no limits.
My prayer for you is that you trust God in every situation, and with every question.