During World War II, as...
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During World War II, as Hitler's armies raced across France, thousands of Allied troops dug in along the coast of northern France in a last-ditch effort to hold off the German forces. Trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, they knew that they would soon be under attack by the Nazis. As the battle drew closer, the British troops sent a radio message across the English Channel. And the message was just three words: "And if not." Some wondered if that was some sort of a coded transmission. But instead it was a reference to the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were the three who refused to worship the golden idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And as the king was about to throw them into the fiery furnace to punish them, they calmly said to the king: "Our God is able to save us, and he will save us. And if not, we will remain faithful to him anyway." And sure enough, when the king's guards opened the door to the furnace the next morning, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out unharmed, their clothing not even having been singed by the flames. When London received that message from their troops in France, they knew at once what it meant. Those soldiers were expressing their trust that they would be delivered from that desperate situation. And in the following days, a flotilla of ships managed to rescue 338,000 Allied troops out of the hands of the Nazis. This passage reminds us of our ability to rejoice in all situations, as we trust in the God who is able to keep us from all evil. -- Bowen
