The Spiritual Highs

So I started do work on homework and it was too much to think about so I thought I would do my devotions for the day instead. So much more fun! I read the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. It's the story of the refusal to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. They are threatened with being thrown in the furnace. In verses 17 and 18, they reply to the king by saying

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, 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, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Their confidence in God struck me. They knew God had the power to save them and they were calling on that power. They also were confident that they only knew part of the big picture. A friend of mine is in a lot of physical pain and it breaks my heart to see her hurting. We have both prayed for healing but it hasn't come yet. In frustration I talked to a friend of mine who reminded me that we don't know all of what God has planned. Yes, He doesn't want to see us hurting but also the testimony of us walking through something could be of more influence than the immediate healing. The story in Daniel 3 today brought that to the surface again. They trusted God no matter what. Their faith was based on trust and love in a deep relationship.

At the end of the story, when God sends his angel to save Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, King Nebuchadnezzar starts praising God for the miracle. This is the second time in Daniel so far that he does that. His faith is based on  miracles. From David knowing and interpreting his dream to the three jews being saved, Nebuchadnezzar believed only after a spiritual high.

How often do we only believe when we see God work in miraculous ways? Is your faith one like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego deep, rich and not based on personal gain? Or is it like King Nebuchadnezzar only surfacing when you can see and understand what God is doing?