Have you ever sat on a folding chair and wondered if it was sturdy enough to hold you? Some plastic chairs are just too wobbly! They’re not trustworthy. You might sit on the chair because that’s what’s available, but you’ll do it carefully, testing it, not moving more than necessary once you’re sitting.
God is not that chair. On the contrary, God is trustworthy and stable. He never changes. He does what he says he will do. His love is unfailing.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young men taken from Israel as captives to Babylon. Along with Daniel, they were trained to serve the king. They did so faithfully, but they never allowed the king to take the place of God in their lives, even when he passed a decree that said anyone who did not bow down to the king’s image would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Their response to him is filled with trust for God:
“We know our God can save us. But even if he chooses not to, we’ll worship God alone.”
Not only did they trust that God could save them from the fire, they trusted that if he didn’t save them, God was still good.
It’s a level of trust that comes with time, from seeing God provide again and again - even in the ways we don’t expect him to. When we’re faced with decisions that are hard to make, we can trust God to respond because he always has before. He always will. He never changes, and his love never fails.
Prayer: God, you are trustworthy. You are faithful. You love me. Help me know to do the right thing, because I know your love never fails. Amen.