How to have faith and strength in hard times: the “even if” factor

This post was written by a friend of mine, Cicely Silva, and originally appeared on her blog, hisguidinglight.blogspot.com. This is an excerpt with a link to finish reading on her blog.

Maintaining a strong faith in God despite our circumstances can be very difficult. We get discouraged, confused, angry, feel betrayed, and so many other emotions. Sometimes the situations we experience seem to be contrary to what God says about Himself. For example, in Luke 18:7-8a, Jesus says, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

But what if a crime was committed against you, but that person got away with it? What if they seemed to be prospering and enjoying life; would you still trust God even then?

It is easier to answer yes than to live that yes out in the midst of painful circumstances. We need to resolve to follow God even if He doesn’t heal our loved one, even if we have to endure terrible suffering, even if despite being faithful, things don’t go the way we think they should. That is difficult because that means choosing to honor, worship, and trust God in the midst of disappointment.

What I love about the Bible is that nothing is sugar coated. We see people lose much and yet come out victorious. But, that victory doesn’t come easily. There are costs. The people we learn about are relatable and the lessons are so relevant to our lives today. We can learn so much about maintaining our faith in God despite our circumstances from their stories. God used Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to teach me this lesson.

In the book of Daniel, God allowed the Jews to be taken captive by the nation of Babylon. In chapter 1, we learn that the king of Babylon had young Israelite men from the royal family and the nobility brought into his service (v.3). They were “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace” (v.4a). Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the captives chosen for the three year training to enter into the king’s service (v.6). In verse 7 we read, “The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”

These men lost a great deal. They were taken captive, had their names stripped from them, and had their futures decided for them. They would have had guaranteed prosperous lives in Judah because they came from either royalty or nobility and showed great promise. Had Babylon not invaded, the opportunities would have been amazing for them. Yes, these young men had good lives compared to the poor captives, but when you have much power and privilege, captivity is still a great loss.

Fast forward to the event recounted in chapter 3 in the book of Daniel. We learn that King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden idol and ordered everyone in Babylon to worship it. Anyone who did not, would be “thrown into a blazing furnace” (v.4-6). Some astrologers came forward and reported to the king, “…there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up” (v.12).

The king was infuriated and had the three men brought to him. He gave them an ultimatum, either bow down and worship the idol or be thrown into the blazing furnace (v.13-15). Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah) responded bravely. They said, ““If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the 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, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (v.17-18). These men had an even if attitude. They were ready to trust and serve God no matter their circumstances. Even in the face of death.

So, how do we cultivate an even if attitude? This post, as well as the following two will explore just that.

(Continue reading the post here on Cicely’s blog)

About the author:

Cicely Silva is a youth pastor’s wife and a licensed professional counselor. She is a Christian and is constantly learning more about God, others, the world, and about myself. Her blog posts come out of her time spent with God and her journey living out His plan for my life. Her and her husband Joey are currently expecting their first child.