Atmosphere: Waiting (Vol. 1) | An Instrumental DevotionalSample

Day 5: EVEN IF

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 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.” –Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)

How do we reconcile God’s ability to do whatever we ask with the fact that He may choose not to? 

In today’s song, “Even If,” we experience the tension of the “if gap”—the faith-building space between prayer and answers. In this place of possibility, we hear the unpolished pursuit of melody and cadence of instruments as they try to find each other until they finally settle into place together. 

How often does this represent our journey with the Lord? Something unexpected throws us off balance and out of step, and we’re left wondering what happened to the rhythm we were so comfortable in. Many times we’re stuck, not quite out of tune but not quite on pitch, asking the Lord if maybe He’s changed His mind about His good and perfect plans for us. 

It’s in this tension that we find our friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the third chapter of Daniel. They’ve been living in rhythm with God, righteous men who follow the Lord with all their hearts. But they’re targeted for their faith, and the leaders of the land force a choice: bow to what man has made or stand for the Maker of All Things. Bowing betrays their heart of hearts. Standing puts them in the furnace. In this moment, they teach us how to navigate the “if gap.” Daniel 3 records the account of their literal stand of faith. They knew God could save them but had no natural assurance He would. And faced with that reality, they decided that even if He didn’t, they’d still praise Him. 

Faith is the substance of what we hope for. It’s not an intangible thing floating in the void of spiritualism; it’s the substance that fills the gap. Faith not only praises Him for what He does do but also praises Him for what He might do. We know God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, so we pray: May God give us the grace to praise Him, even if His answer doesn’t come in the way or the timeframe we were counting on.  

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?

What “if gap” are you facing today? Faith is the perfect-sized puzzle piece for it. As you listen today, may you experience that same setting of the jaw, that same tightening of the eyes those men must have shown that day. May determination come over you as you grab hold of the anchor of your soul. 

Music: Patrick Smith

Devotional: Zac Rowe