Even if He does not!

I was reading in Daniel 3 today.  It is a familiar story about Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow down to the idol the King of Babylon required all people to worship.  King Nebuchadnezzar liked SMA but he was embarrassed that they refused to bow down so in his anger he told his guards to throw them into the fire.  Not only that but the fire was made 7 times hotter.  It was so hot (How hot was it?) that the guards that threw them in died.  Amazingly, they weren't harmed in the fire.  Not only were they not harmed they didn't even have the smell of smoke on their clothes. 

That story is amazing.  But let's go back a few verses.  When Nebuchadnezzar gave SMA a chance to change their minds they refused.  They had already made up their minds that they were going to serve God no matter what.  In verses 16-17 they said that their God could save them.  But I love vs 18:

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.

Those of us who have heard this story know about the deliverance from the fire.  But what if God didn't deliver them?  I have a friend who was a missionary and has been serving in our ministry for over 15 years.  His wife found out she had cancer this week and died a few days later.  How do we respond to that?  God does deliver.  But what about when he doesn't?  We have to decide ahead of time how we will react.