“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 3:18 (NIV)
On Sunday, I stood in church singing songs of praise with tears streaming down my face. Then, once again, I silently pleaded with God to miraculously heal my stepmom from cancer and take her pain away. Finally, I told God that no matter what, I would surrender to His will and plan for our lives.
Later that night, my stepmom left the pain of this earth and went home to be at peace with Jesus.
You may wonder how I could praise God while my heart was breaking. After all, God clearly wasn’t answering my prayers. But during my time of praise, I was reminded that God is always good and faithful. No matter what I’ve faced in my life, God has never left my side.
It is true that God didn’t answer my prayer for a miracle. But sometimes healing isn’t part of His master plan. Only the God who wove us together knows the days ordained for each one of us and has written them in His book (Psalm 139:15-16). And as much as we would like to understand God’s ways and plan, His Word tells us that we can’t. God’s ways are beyond our comprehension and higher than the earth and our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
God’s plans are like a beautiful mosaic, created from small, unique pieces of colored stone, glass, or ceramic. God created each of us as one piece of His masterpiece. Each of us has a specific purpose in His perfect plan to redeem the earth (Ephesians 2:10). We can’t see or understand the whole plan because we are too close to it. We may endure hardship, trials, or even death as part of God’s plan. But God assures us that in all things He works for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the perfect example of this.
Even though God didn’t answer my prayer for healing, He did answer my prayers. A couple of weeks ago, while praying for my stepmom, I felt God’s peace. Then I clearly heard Him tell my Spirit that He was taking care of her. And I knew it was true. Over the past few months, she has been surrounded by friends and loved ones, including all ten of her grandkids. And as my sister wrote, she is now at peace and “there was not a single moment when she was alone. She was surrounded by the kind of love she inspired.”
So when you ask me how I can worship, my answer is simple: I believe God loves me and knows what is best.
Even when all seems lost and our hearts are breaking, God still has good plans. Therefore, even if He does not answer our prayers, we can praise Him.
In Daniel 3, we see a powerful model of this kind of bold faith. While the Jewish people were in exile in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar built a massive golden image. Then he commanded everyone to bow down and worship it. But three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused, saying they would only worship God. When the king threatened to throw them into a blazing furnace, they boldly replied that God was able to deliver them. Then they made an even greater declaration of faith: “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 3:18).
So friend, the next time your prayers feel unanswered and your heart is breaking, I invite you to cry out to God and worship him. Let’s be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and say, But even if He doesn’t answer my prayers, I surrender to His will. I know that God is good and has good plans.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for comforting me with hope and peace when my heart is breaking. Help me surrender to your will, even when I don’t understand or see my prayers answered as I’d hoped. Give me the faith to say, “Even if you don’t, I trust that you are always good.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
