"... Even if..."

Wasn't feeling great this morning. Just a bit down. No real reason. Just didn't feel right.

I felt like I was being prompted to put on some contemporary praise songs. Seemed like a good idea 😊. Don't know exactly how it works - but it does! Probably reminds me just how wonderful God is - and that lifts me.

One line made me cry a little though. It's kind of like the "broken hallelujah" from Leonard Cohen's song. It's from a Mercy Me song -

"I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone".

There are stories in the Bible from where this is drawn. Job for one. And the story where Daniel's friends were being threatened with fiery consequences for refusing to acknowledge any other God but the one they knew to be real. The King was trying to convince them to take the easy way out and live! But their response was to remain true no matter what the consequence.

Their reply to the King was - "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 3:17,18)

The line that catches me is "... even if he does not..." That's integrity. And that is trust right there. That is knowing who God is - and that he is the one who makes things right in the end - even when it doesn't look like it. You only give that sort of loyalty to the greatest and most beautiful soul and cause.

It takes a special kind of connection to be able to say with those young men, and with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him..." (Job 13:15)

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