Daniel 3:17–18 — “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not… we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

There may be no stronger expression of trust in Scripture than three simple words spoken on the edge of a fiery furnace: “But if not.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no question about God’s ability. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” Their uncertainty was not about what God could do; it was about what God would do. And there is a difference.

Sometimes we confuse trust with confidence about an outcome. We say, “I’m trusting God to heal.” “I’m trusting God to provide.” “I’m trusting God to open this door.” “I’m trusting God to fix this situation.” There is nothing wrong with asking, hoping, praying, and believing that God is able. But biblical trust goes deeper than confidence that God will give us the outcome we desire. Trust is not confidence that God will do what I want; trust is confidence in God when I do not know what He will do.

That is the faith of “but if not.” The three Hebrews believed God could extinguish the fire, protect them in the fire, or allow the fire to consume them. They did not know what God would choose. What they knew was that none of those possibilities changed who God was. Their faith was not anchored to an outcome; it was anchored to God.

That kind of trust says, “God can heal me—but if not, He is still God. God can open this door—but if not, He is still faithful. God can change these circumstances—but if not, He is still good. God can answer exactly as I have prayed—but if not, I will still worship Him.” “But if not” is not unbelief. It may actually be one of faith’s highest expressions. It removes our preferred outcome from the throne and leaves God there.

And then something remarkable happens in Daniel 3. God does not keep them from the furnace. He meets them in it. Nebuchadnezzar looks into the flames and says, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? … I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt” (Daniel 3:24–25). They trusted God without knowing what He would do, and discovered that whatever God chose to do, He would not cease to be with them.

Perhaps that is where trust finally rests. I may not know whether God will remove the furnace. I may not know whether He will answer as I hope. I may not know what tomorrow holds. But I know Him. Faith says, “God is able.” Trust adds, “But if not, He is still God—and I am still His.” ©

–PGR