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(as presented by Lisa Bishop)
When is a time where you felt fear and didn’t let it stop you? A time you chose to obey and trust God despite being afraid? Trusting God is an act of courage.
In Daniel 6 we see a well-known story of trust and courage: the story of Daniel in the Lion’s den. To refresh our memories, Darius, King of Babylon was appointing men to high positions of leadership in the kingdom. Daniel, known as the servant of the living God, was one of the appointed leaders and had so distinguished himself as a man with an extraordinary spirit that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. The other men were jealous and did anything they could to discredit Daniel. “But, they could find no charge for corruption, for Daniel was trustworthy, and no negligence of corruption was found in him.”
So the men set a trap for Daniel, knowing that he was a man of God, and got the king to issue a decree that anyone worshiping any god or man besides the king would be put to death. This is where Daniel’s stellar track record of courage and faithfulness to God is displayed. Despite the decree forbidding worship and the threat of death, Daniel still was unwavering in his faith. He got down on his knees three times a day, prayed and gave thanks to God. In the face of fear for his life, Daniel, had courage to be obedient and faithful in worship and prayer. And his allegiance to God and not man landed him face to face with death in the den of lions. After being holed up in a den of not so friendly felines for a night, the king opens the door to the den the next morning only to find Daniel unharmed. We read that Daniel was taken out of the den uninjured for he trusted God.
It takes faith to trust God. It takes obedience to trust God. It takes courage to trust him especially in the face of uncertainty. And while our physical lives may not be threatened like Daniel’s and so many of our Christian brothers and sisters across the world, there may be times where we will be ridiculed, mocked, canceled or shunned for our faith in Jesus. It can be tempting to be a covert Christian, especially at our workplace, for fear of what people might think. Yet will we still remain true to God? There are people he has put in your path that need the love and hope of Jesus.
Instead of bowing down to a culture which is anti-God, will you be courageous to live set apart? To be seen as one trustworthy, with an extraordinary spirit, being faithful in prayer and diligent in worship as you love and follow Jesus?
What is one way you can be courageous in trusting God?