“The God we serve is able to save us. . . . But even if he does not . . . we will not serve your gods.” (Dan. 3:17–18)
A GOOD CONDUCTOR makes his or her mark in the rehearsal room not the concert hall. The audience sees the conductor merely keeping time for the orchestra; the bulk of his or her work occurs offstage, where he or she forges a symbiotic relationship with the musicians. They have to be ready to respond to the slightest cue of his or her baton.
That’s because few concerts go exactly as planned. A competent conductor earns the ensemble’s trust so that he or she can compensate for mid-performance contingencies and attempt previously unrehearsed musical gestures without derailing the show. The conductor knows that quick decision-making can rein in a performance that’s getting out of hand. I’ve sat under conductors like that before. It’s exhilarating. Such leadership empowers musicians to accomplish things they might otherwise never attempt.
That rehearsal room trust is what compelled Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to defy the king’s command. Their confidence was deeply rooted in what they knew about who God is and how He works. Though they didn’t presume to know what He would decide to do, they dared not take their cues from another.
If I want to have that kind of faith, I need to learn my part. No conductor tolerates a musician unwilling to practice. Spending time with Him in the rehearsal room of His Word is what prepares me to follow His cues on the concert stage of my life.
Find an unfamiliar passage of Scripture and read it today.
Johnathan Kana lives with his wife and two children in rural central Texas. When he’s not writing, he enjoys playing piano and composing music.
© 2017 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
