Daily Devotional
The “If Not” Clause in Your Faith
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’”
Daniel 3:16-18
March 25, 2025
Ponder This
Does your faith have an “if not” clause in it? Our God can deliver you, but if He doesn't, are you still going to serve Him? We like the story of Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace because they walked out unscathed, but that’s not always how things turn out. In Hebrews 11, we find story after story of God doing amazing works of deliverance. And in verses 35-37, we see that “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.”
We might say, “If they’d just had enough faith, they’d have been delivered.” Oh no. They got an A on the report card of faith, and they were not delivered in a way you and I would call deliverance. It is one thing to have faith to escape; it’s another thing to have faith to endure. It’s one thing to be sick and have faith to be healed; it's another thing to be sick and not healed and still praise God. Faith is not primarily receiving from God what you want; it is accepting from God what He gives.
- When have you struggled to have faith because things did not turn out the way you wanted or expected?
- What are some hard things you have prayed about that have not gone your way? How can you submit these things to God in faith?
Practice This
Confess to God when you have struggled with Him for working differently than what you wanted. Ask God to grow your faith in Him. Trust the Giver; not just the gift.
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From the Cross to the Empty Grave Scripture Journal
With space for personal reflections, prayers, and insights, this journal guides you through key Bible passages illuminating the path from Calvary to the empty tomb, inviting you to meditate on the Scriptures, pray, and write as you grow in faith.
