but if not.

I have two phrases that I have been telling myself a lot recently. Whenever my mind starts running wild with the oh so famous "what ifs" I stop and say to myself, "Rachel. He is not going to give you anything less than what is best for you, so be patient. It is good and it will always be good because He is good, so don't worry."

I tend to worry. A lot. Way too much, actually. I get hung up on things that, in the long run, really aren't all that important. I think we all do this and what a waste of time and energy and even faith that is!

In Luke 12:26-27 Jesus poses two questions for us. He asks, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?" When I really read that verse for the first time I was sitting at a table by myself on campus worrying, believe it or not. Most of the time when a verse about being anxious is mentioned, it’s the verse from Matthew. Now, that verse from Matthew is great, don’t get me wrong, but this verse in Luke? This verse from Luke was exactly what I needed to hear. It was like I heard it in Jesus’ voice saying, “Rachel. Worrying and being anxious about things is not worth it. Worrying is not going to change a single thing so why be anxious?”

In my Bible Class where I worship we just finished a study on the Book of Daniel and let me tell you, the story of Daniel is such an inspiring one. When you look at worry you can’t help but see how the lesson that needs to be learned so desperately is a lesson about faith.

Consider the story from Daniel about the Fiery Furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image despite knowing they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Think about that. They knew if they did not bow before an idol they would be killed. There was no question in the matter. Their options were bow before the idol or die. They chose death over disobeying God.

Okay, yes, we know the story, Rachel. Where are you going with this?

I know, I know. I’m getting there. This isn’t a lesson on obedience just give me a minute.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before the king and listened to him say, “But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” To this question they responded, “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.” Now get ready because this is important. They just told the King of Babylon that they had complete and total faith that their God would deliver them from his hand and look at what they say next. They respond to the king by saying, “But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:15, 17-18).

Back up for a second. But if not. Could you say that? Not just if you were about to be thrown into a fiery furnace. Could you say that? About anything you may be facing? Could you say, “My God whom I serve is able to deliver me from this illness. But if not…” or “My God whom I serve is able to deliver me from this time of financial difficulty, from this heartbreak, from this loss, or whatever the case may be. But if not...”

Do you see how profound that is? Do you see the kind of faith these three men had? They knew that God was able to deliver them. They knew his power. They knew his strength. They had faith in God their creator.

But they also knew they may not be delivered. They knew that they might die in that fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced something that day I pray no one will ever have to face again but their faith in God was unwavering. They were not worried. They were not afraid. They knew that God was faithful even if He did not deliver them because God is always faithful and He will always take care of His people.

I feel that so often this is where we mess up. This is where we fall short. We worry and we become anxious and afraid because we think that a lack of deliverance means a lack of God’s faithfulness. If that were true, do you know what that would mean? If the lack of deliverance means a lack of God’s faithfulness the entire foundation of our faith is broken.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night of his betrayal he prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus prayed that God would deliver Him. Jesus prayed that the cup would pass from Him. But in Mark 15:37 we are told, “Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.” Jesus was not delivered from the hands of the Jews that day but does that mean God was not faithful? No. If nothing else this was the epitome of God’s faithfulness - His faithfulness to us.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines faithful as “steadfast in affection or allegiance: loyal; firm in adherence to promises.” God is steadfast. He is loyal. He adheres to his promises. God is faithful. When we have faith in that faithfulness we know that no matter what happens to us, God will see us through to the other side. We know that he will give us everything we need. We know that he will protect us and care for us and be faithful to us for we are his children.

When we have faith in God’s faithfulness we no longer have a need to worry or be anxious. When we have faith in God’s faithfulness we can rest and have peace in the knowledge that we will be taken care of and everything will work out the way it is supposed to and in the way that is best for us. Sometimes that may be hard to see or hard to understand because sometimes it doesn’t look like it is working out the way that is best for us. How can it be working out the way that is best for us when you lose your job or when you’re 31 and still not married or you’re unable to have children despite all the tears and prayers and doctor’s visits?

Sidebar: Now, I know that I am young and I have so much life left ahead of me, Lord willing, but sometimes it is so easy to get into the mindset that just because something hasn’t happened yet that means it will never happen. That is not always the case. That is hardly ever the case. So often I find myself slipping into that mindset when I see another relationship or another friend get engaged or I’m invited to another wedding. I’ll start thinking, “Well maybe if I had done this maybe I would be in a relationship by now” or “If I had started praying about this sooner I would have found him already.” How silly is that? In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told, “He has made everything beautiful in His time.” Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it will never happen. Sometimes it just means that it’s not time for it to happen. During our campus Bible study last week in a discussion about the Israelites and the Golden Calf the point was made that we can make so many seemingly innocent things, such as relationships, into idols when we begin dwelling on them and investing all of our energy and effort and thoughts into them. We begin to try to control our lives and lose sight of the one who is really in control. Everything is beautiful in His time, not mine, so there is no need to be anxious.

We have to understand that our purpose in this life is to glorify God. The glory we were made for is to be transformed from our own glory into the Glory of God. “And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we understand our purpose in this life is for His glory and not our own we have to also understand that sometimes what is best for us is the thing that allows us to bring Him the most glory. He is not going to give you anything less than what is best for you and the thing that is best is the thing that allows you to fulfill your purpose to the fullest of your ability.

When we have faith in God’s faithfulness we can have peace in the knowledge that no matter what happens it will be good. My favorite verse is Romans 8:28. When the going gets rough and I’m starting to lose faith that everything will all work out okay Paul reminds me “for those who love God all things work together for good.” It is good and it will always be good because He is good.

“She considered Him faithful who had promised.”

- Hebrews 11:11