Forget the monsters for a moment. Skip the lions and the den. The book of Daniel is an awesome blend of history and apocalyptic literature, but the best part is the last verse of the first chapter.
Read the greatest miracle in the book of Daniel-
And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel was faithful to God in Babylon. He was a captive, a true exile from his homeland. He was taken by a tyrant and sent to be educated in the false religious ideas of the Babylonian court. By God’s good grace, Daniel excelled beyond every person in wisdom.
He served the King, doing his best to do so without essential compromise. In his long life, decades of service first to Babylonians, then to Persia, very few miracles are recorded. He needed to be rescued by God a few times, but mostly Daniel endured. He was faithful in hard times when there were no miracles being done. Days became months became years and Daniel endured.
If Daniel could work with Nebuchadnezzar and all his many minions, then we may be exaggerating our troubles with a local Human Resources department. If Daniel could excel in the curriculum of schooling driven by astrology, then we can master and find virtue in the best books published this year. If Daniel could put character above power, then we can endure like Daniel. If he did not bow to idols made of gold, then perhaps we can stand like Daniel. If he can refuse the King’s foolish commands, then we can pray and give the victory to God.
We need the wisdom of Daniel to do good, love truth, and create beauty in any circumstance. Often we do not need a miracle in hard times, but to pause and listen to what God is saying. We need to use wisdom.
Mostly Daniel did not see miracles and so far as we know, he never went home. Daily he did his duty, served honorably, and left life up to God. Daniel was delivered, so far as we know, to the end of his days. Some are not delivered, those (real) exiles become true martyrs. For decades Christians endured the Soviet nightmare, where atheism was the key to power and privilege, but those men and women endured. Some suffered, some were killed, some found ways to serve the Russian people without compromise. Many made mistakes, not everyone has Daniel’s integrity, but repented and tried again. God’s people endured and now the Soviet Union is gone.
Living in the United States, few face tests similar to Daniel or those brave Soviet era Christians. We are called to endure smaller troubles. Surely we should never exaggerate those difficulties. We can thank God for our blessings and endure. We can be like Daniel in that regard, even if we do not face troubles nearly as grave.
Serve. Pray. Be faithful. Be bold.
Daniel endured. Holy Daniel, pray that we may follow your example to worship the one true God no matter our circumstance!
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I may have written on this verse at the old Scriptorium at Biola University, but I cannot find the essay!
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