Double-Down Faith
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.—Daniel 3:17-18
Doubling down began as a gambling term. Although I’m not a
gambler, I believe “double-down” means to double your bet after seeing the
first of two cards dealt to you. In modern politics, double-down has become
frequently used to push a questionable position by doubling support for it in
the face of increased criticism. I guess even preachers double-down sometimes.
I remember a joke I heard about a preacher who would put the letters, “WPPP” in
his sermon notes. WPPP stood for, “Weak Point, Pound Pulpit.”
Doubling-down is not always risky or ill-advised. At Oakland,
we are in week 4 of a 10-week sermon series and small group study entitled,
“Rooted.” The reading for Day 3 describes the “Double-Fisted Faith” of the
three Hebrew children. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
doubled-down on their faith when facing the fiery furnace for refusing to bow
to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold.
King Nebuchadnezzar erected a ninety foot image of gold. To
dedicate the image, he decreed that whenever the music was played, every
official and all peoples who heard the music must bow and worship the image.
The three Hebrew children serving in the king’s court, being Jews, could not
and would not bow. The punishment, “Whoever does not
fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace”
(Daniel 3:6).
The King gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego one last
opportunity to bow, but before the music played, they refused again. Their
response may be understood as a double-fisted or doubled-down faith. With one
fist, they declared that God is all powerful and can rescue them from the
blazing furnace. They believed He would. The second fist comes up, and they say
with equal confidence, “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” (3:18).
The Hebrew children had faith in an all-powerful God. They
also had hope that God would be with them and deliver them. But they
surrendered to whatever circumstances they would face for their faith and
disobedience to the government—faith, hope, and surrender.
As I read this passage, my mind immediately connected with
Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest and crucifixion. He
prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this
cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus knew
all things were possible with God. He had performed many, many miracles: fed
the multitudes, healed the sick, and even raised the dead. Jesus knew His
Heavenly Father could deliver Him, but then Jesus surrendered to what was to
come.
You may be facing big challenges, today. Those around
you, your circumstances, family or employer may be pressuring you do what you
know you cannot do as a Christian. Follow the example and faith of the Hebrew
children and Jesus. Double-down on your faith. Believe that God can do all
things. Rest in the hope that the Lord is with you and will never let you down.
And surrender to the consequences for doing what is right and following Jesus.
Faith, hope, and surrender is a doubling down that is neither foolish nor
risky.
Randy Bain is the Senior
Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA 15902. You
may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.
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