Teaching Note 14

Faith Insight 14: Trusting God with the Outcome

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... But if not... we will not serve your gods.”— Daniel 3:17–18 (ESV)

There is a point when obedience asks an especially difficult question: Will I still trust God if obedience does not produce the outcome I want?  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced that question with their lives. King Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to bow before the golden image he had erected. If they refused, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace.  Their answer is one of the strongest statements of living faith anywhere in Scripture.     They told the king that their God could deliver them. They believed in God's power.  But then they added three remarkable words:     “But if not...”  Even if God did not deliver them as they hoped, they would not bow.

Their faith was not:     “We know God will give us the outcome we want.”

Their faith was: “We know God is __________ of our trust regardless of the outcome.”  There is an enormous difference.  Sometimes we can unintentionally turn faith into a bargain with God.

    “Lord, I will trust You because I believe You will heal this illness.”

    “I will obey because I believe You will make this situation work out.”

    “I will pray because I believe You will give me what I am asking for.”

But what happens when healing __________ __________ come when we expect it?

What happens when the __________ is not restored?

What happens when the __________ disappears?

What happens when the __________ seems unanswered?

What happens when faithful __________ costs us something?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show us a deeper kind of trust.  God is able. But even if He does not act as we desire, He is still God, and He is still worthy of our faithfulness.  This does not mean that we should stop asking God for what we desire. Scripture repeatedly invites us to pray.  We can pray boldly.  We can ask for healing.  We can ask for provision.  We can ask for deliverance.  We can pour out our hearts honestly before God.

But living faith does not make God's trustworthiness __________ upon His giving us our preferred answer.  Faith ultimately rests in __________ God is, not in our ability to __________ what He will do.

Hebrews 11 makes this especially clear. That great chapter celebrates people who experienced extraordinary deliverance through faith. But it also remembers faithful people who suffered terribly and did not receive deliverance in this life.  Both remained within the story of faith.  That protects us from a dangerous misunderstanding:  Strong faith does not __________ that circumstances will always turn out as we __________.  Strong faith entrusts __________ to a __________ God.

There may come a time in every Christian life when we must place our own words beside those three words from Daniel:     “But if not...”

God can __________ this situation.

God can __________ this door.

God can __________ this prayer exactly as I hope.

But if not, I will still __________ Him.

That is not weak faith… It may be one of faith's deepest expressions.

 A SIMPLE PRAYER

Father, You know the answers I hope for and the outcomes I desire. I believe You can act, and I bring my requests honestly before You. But teach me to trust Your goodness more deeply, even when Your answer differs from mine. Give me grace to remain faithful because You are worthy of my trust. In Jesus' name, amen.