Even If

"The Elah [God] we serve is able to deliver us from the fire . . . . But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your elahin [gods]." Daniel 3:17–18

YHWH is able to give us strength and hope for each day - no matter the circumstance. 💪

Sometimes life deals us a tremendous blow. Other times the miraculous happens.

Three young men, captives in Babylon, stood in front of the fearsome king of that land and boldly proclaimed that under no circumstances would they worship the giant image of gold towering above them. Together they declared: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the Elah [God] we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know... we will not . . . worship the image” (Daniel 3:17–18).

These three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were hurled into the fiery furnace; and YHWH miraculously delivered them so that not a hair of their head was singed and their clothing was smoke-free (vv. 19–27). They had been prepared to die but their trust in YHWH was unwavering —“even if” He had not saved them.

Dani’ĕl (Daniel) 3:24-25 TS2009

[24] Then Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar was amazed, and stood up in haste and spoke and said to his counsellors, “Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the sovereign, “Certainly, O sovereign.”

[25] He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elahin [gods].”

YHWH desires that we cling to Him—even if our loved one isn’t healed, even if we lose our job, even if we are persecuted. Sometimes YHWH rescues us from danger in this life, and sometimes He doesn’t. But the truth we can hold firmly is this: “The Elah [God] we serve is able.” He loves us and is with us in every fiery trial we face; every "even if."

Spending Time with YHWH

He [Daniel] prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his Elah [God]. ~Daniel 6:10 TS2009

For the believer, taking time each day in YHWH'S Word and in prayer is indispensable. Each day, we need to wait upon YHWH, His presence, and His love to be revealed.

Asking for forgiveness of sins or even to surrender to YHWH is only the beginning. We must understand that we have no power on our own to maintain our spiritual life. We need to receive new grace daily through repentance and  fellowship with our Heavenly Father. This cannot be obtained by a hasty prayer or a superficial reading of a few verses from YHWH’S Word. We must take time to come into His presence, to fill our weakness and our need, and to wait on Him through His Ruach Hakodesh/Holy Spirit to renew our hearts and be strengthened in Him throughout the day.

It should be our aim to help our brothers and sisters in Messiah Yahshua see the absolute necessity of spending time with our Heavenly Father YHWH in prayer and in His Word. By putting our faith and trust in Him wholeheartedly, we receive the joy and power of His Set-Apart Spirit in our daily lives.

"Heavenly Father, as I come into Your presence, I desire to know more of You. Teach me to wait quietly, with expectation that You will reveal Your love to me. I surrender all to You, in Yahshua's Mighty Name. Amein."

By: Edith Sapaugh

[@thegraftedones]