But Even If He Doesn’t
by: Anne Coleman Hufham
June 9, 2026
“Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him.”
As believers, there’s always a time in our walk with God where we experience prayers being unanswered. We pray, fast, and believe with all of our hearts that God is going to move and come through in something we’re longing for. Healing for someone you love, financial provision for something, the Lord bringing a family member to salvation. All of these things being good, pure, beautiful things to be praying and believing for. We hold onto scriptures like John 14 “ask and it shall be given to you” “ask anything in my name” “believe and it will be yours.” The scripture in James says “ask without having any doubt in your hearts” so we make sure we’re asking in faith, we repent for any doubt, and keep on believing, just to be left in our longings.
There’s a time in our faith when we don’t see God showing up the way we want Him to and it doesn’t make sense to us. Why wouldn’t He heal my friend? Why wouldn’t He want my sibling to come to know Him? Why God? The scripture from Matthew comes to mind “Blessed is the one who doesn’t get offended.” This scripture is from the time when John the Baptizer was in prison sending his disciples to ask Jesus in Matthew 11 “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus’ response was: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is he who does not take offense at me.”
If anyone had a reason to be offended, it was John. He poured out his life for this coming Messiah. He lived in the desert, ate locusts, and wore camel skins. His entire ministry was to bring many to repentance, to prepare the way for the Lord, so that when the Messiah came, they could be filled. You have to repent and be emptied of yourself to be filled with Jesus. So John lived a life of emptying himself, dying to the world, living out God’s calling on his life. He ended up behind bars, only to be executed at a dinner party. He had many reasons to take offense with God, yet he didn’t. How do you respond when Jesus doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?
I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had a massive statue of himself set up in the center of Babylon. He ordered that everyone had to bow down and worship that statue at the sound of instruments. There were three men who refused to bow down.
Daniel 3 (NLT) “Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
The story has a really good ending and the Lord completely protected them from the fire. In fact not one of them was touched. Praise God! But what stands out so much to me is their heart posture of proclaiming before they knew the outcome, that nothing could cause them to deny their Father, not even a death sentence. May we all become like these saints.
Prayer
Oh Lord, give me radical faith to trust You at all times, even when You don’t show up like I wanted You to. Lord may I become completely unoffendable.
Worship: Great Are You Lord & Spontaneous
Further Study
Daniel 3
Related Posts
As believers, there’s always a time in our walk with God where we experience prayers being unanswered. We pray, fast, and believe with all of our hearts that God is going to move and come through in something we’re longing for. Healing for someone you love, financial provision for something, the Lord bringing a family member to salvation. All of these things being good, pure, beautiful things to be praying and believing for.