Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Jewish youth taken into Babylonian captivity. The reason for this captivity was punishment for the Jewish nation, which had forsaken God. However, these young men, whom we know as Daniel/ Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were not among the forsakers. Even when the pressure was put on these youth to conform to the ways of their new country, they adhered to their Jewish upbringing, maintaining strict observance of God’s law. They could have been bitter about their plight. Instead, they remained steadfast and grew in their faith. As a result, God worked exceedingly great miracles for them. How did they live a life of faith in turbulent times?
1. They stayed true to their convictions. For them, it was dietary requirements and regularly scheduled prayer. Instead of making them lesser than others who modified their lifestyle to accommodate Babylonian customs, they were healthier and wiser than all their peers.
2. They chose to seek God in impossible situations. Daniel asked the king (who’d issued the order for all wise men to be killed because of a few astrologers’ inability to know his dream) for permission to seek God for an answer. The king gave him a few hours, and Daniel petitioned God for clarification regarding the king’s dream.
3. They employed the power of unity. When Daniel decided to seek God for knowledge of the king’s dream, the other friends prayed for God to bless Daniel with this revelation. God gave Daniel a vision of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation.
4. They acknowledged that God was in charge. When God gave the answer, they praised God. But more than that, they acknowledged that God was in control of who was king. They didn’t bemoan their captivity. They didn’t blame anyone for their predicament. They realized that God was the ultimate governing body and that He had chosen to elevate a wicked kingdom for a time. They were at peace knowing that He hadn’t forgotten them just because they were in a strange land.
5. They continued to exercise their spiritual disciplines, regardless of decrees demanding that they go against those principles. The king said to bow to an idol. They did not, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were sent to the fiery furnace…and put in it. Though the guards throwing them in were burned alive, these three walked around with the Angel of the Lord in the fire with them. Were they assured of this angelic arrival? Nope. Which leads to the next point.
6. Their confidence in God was not outcome-based. They told the king that God COULD deliver them if He wanted to, but EVEN IF HE DIDN’T, they were going to live for Him until they died for Him.
We tell their stories, recounting their bravery, but what made them courageous was their faith-bold faith that was lived out in the consistency of daily life and in the face of great oppression. We can do the same. Each day, we are given opportunities to be consistent, to hold fast to convictions; to exercise spiritual disciplines of prayer, thanksgiving, Bible study, and praise; to seek God’s will first; to give God an opportunity to work for us; to speak the possibilities that can come through God rather than the seemingly set-in-stone facts around us; to trust God no matter what. What are we doing today to grow our faith?
Tip/Tidbit: Name one area in which you struggle to have consistent faith. Try to make strides in that area this week.
2. They chose to seek God in impossible situations. Daniel asked the king (who’d issued the order for all wise men to be killed because of a few astrologers’ inability to know his dream) for permission to seek God for an answer. The king gave him a few hours, and Daniel petitioned God for clarification regarding the king’s dream.
3. They employed the power of unity. When Daniel decided to seek God for knowledge of the king’s dream, the other friends prayed for God to bless Daniel with this revelation. God gave Daniel a vision of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation.
4. They acknowledged that God was in charge. When God gave the answer, they praised God. But more than that, they acknowledged that God was in control of who was king. They didn’t bemoan their captivity. They didn’t blame anyone for their predicament. They realized that God was the ultimate governing body and that He had chosen to elevate a wicked kingdom for a time. They were at peace knowing that He hadn’t forgotten them just because they were in a strange land.
5. They continued to exercise their spiritual disciplines, regardless of decrees demanding that they go against those principles. The king said to bow to an idol. They did not, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were sent to the fiery furnace…and put in it. Though the guards throwing them in were burned alive, these three walked around with the Angel of the Lord in the fire with them. Were they assured of this angelic arrival? Nope. Which leads to the next point.
6. Their confidence in God was not outcome-based. They told the king that God COULD deliver them if He wanted to, but EVEN IF HE DIDN’T, they were going to live for Him until they died for Him.
We tell their stories, recounting their bravery, but what made them courageous was their faith-bold faith that was lived out in the consistency of daily life and in the face of great oppression. We can do the same. Each day, we are given opportunities to be consistent, to hold fast to convictions; to exercise spiritual disciplines of prayer, thanksgiving, Bible study, and praise; to seek God’s will first; to give God an opportunity to work for us; to speak the possibilities that can come through God rather than the seemingly set-in-stone facts around us; to trust God no matter what. What are we doing today to grow our faith?
Tip/Tidbit: Name one area in which you struggle to have consistent faith. Try to make strides in that area this week.
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