Even if he doesn't

Daniel 3:18 But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O King. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue that you set up.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Israelite youth who are in captivity in Babylon, are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace. They are among the lucky ones in captivity, because they have been recognized for their intelligence and abilities, and are being educated along with the other court wise men and are fed the King's diet. They have a lot of privilege in this situation, but their dedication to the One True God, Jahweh, has not been diminished. They know God can rescue them from the fiery furnace, but they're not expecting it. They will follow God, through the fire if they must, but they will honor God above all else, and not deviate from the path they are called to.

It's humbling. I don't have much doubt what I would do if faced with a fiery furnace -- Yes, sir, where should I kneel to worship this statue of yours, these other gods you have chosen? All God asks of me really is to be faithful in small ways in the face of the minor difficulties that make up my life, to rejoice in his gifts, to follow his path and to lay my anxieties at his feet. There are no fiery furnaces, or lions and gladiators in front of me, not even some of the more serious worries of people today who are getting laid off with families to support, or losing their houses. No, there are just the every day anxieties of bills to be paid, sick relatives to attend to, trying to earn a sufficient living and doing what lies in front of me. Stories like this, humbling as they are, give me the perspective and backbone to carry on, to see what is in the glass, not just what is missing. These mornings when I feel like pulling the covers over my head and staying in bed all day, I can step out in faith and confidence that I can do the small things life has presented me with.

Prayer: Dear God, You have given me so much and what you ask is all that I have and all that I am. Give me the courage to be fully the person you are calling me to be as I address all the complexity that life offers. Amen.