captive.

Life seems to be, at times, an exercise in learning to walk through the fires of trial with grace and steadfastness. It is that grace and steadfastness that do not come easily to me. There is something about me, call it dutch stubbornness or willfulness, but whatever the name, it wants to rise up and lash out at every difficulty. It does not want to be repressed or tamed into submission. Yet that is what I aim to do, what I am called to do. And as I find myself wading through life I continue to look for biblical examples of grace and wisdom and steadfastness and upright character. Which is how I ended up back in the Old Testament with a familiar character. But as I was reading, I was no longer drawn to the large miraculous displays orchestrated by God, instead I found myself drawn to the behaviour and speech and responses of Daniel. As a child, I was awed at the amazing feats of God in the life of Daniel, but as an adult I am drawn to the character of this man who the Lord blessed in spite of Daniel’s circumstances. Daniel was faithful, steadfast, and wise in a situation that would have me floundering and grasping.

Here is the backstory, for those who may not know, or who haven’t been back to this book in a while. Daniel was taken from his home during a period of war at the age of seventeen. He was a captive, could very likely have ended up a slave. But he was smart and handsome and probably noble. He was recruited into the service of the king of Babylon. And he lived there his whole life, serving a king who did not know or serve the God that Daniel knew. Surrounded by a new culture, a new religion, a new way of life, Daniel held on to his faith; he continued to place his trust in the God of all. Already, this series of events and the circumstances would be enough to challenge the faith of many Christians. But further to all this, Daniel faced death more than once. And not in an abstract way, in a very real and dangerous way. But the stories of God’s miracles are not what draw me in, instead I find the attitude of captive Daniel to be most compelling. Daniel refused to compromise his faith for his safety. He was constantly placed in  precarious situations because of his steadfast devotion to the God of his fathers, the God that many people felt had deserted them. He held fast. And yet his refusal to compromise brought God glory and Daniel success. This is surprising because it would be natural to assume that Daniel’s refusal to assimilate would have lead to death. But it didn’t, his grasp of faith and trust in God secured him a prominent and influential place in the kingdom. Because of his choices, God was proclaimed throughout an unbelieving nation by rulers who did not fully grasp the greatness of the God who held Daniel in His hand. Daniel had every opportunity to forsake God and live a life of ease; but he was more greatly blessed and rewarded for his devotion. There is no record of Daniel attempting to flee, attempting to return to his home, attempting to usurp the king. Daniel fulfilled the duties placed before him with wisdom and tact, with devotion and fairness. He was a man of admirable character. And he did it all for God. He never, not once, extolled himself, but always pointed back to the One who placed him in captive hands to witness to a lost people as He tried to win back the hearts of the people who had turned from Him. Daniel got up and got on with his life day after day. A life he didn’t choose, a life he never planned, a life that was a result of the actions of others. And instead of railing against God, he chose to live a life of faith. And God was with him. All the time, all through the trials, in every success, in every moment of uncertainty; God was there. And so Daniel didn’t worry about the things beyond his control, he rooted himself in God, following His laws in faith. It isn’t as if this all would have been easy. Sure, Daniel was given a lot of stuff and a lot of power in this foreign nation, but all that could have easily changed with the whims of a king. Daniel had to let go of his sense of earthly security to embrace fully the unknown plans of God. He had to surrender himself to the will of the Father. And what amazes me is how often Daniel uses wisdom and tact when faced with difficult situations. He doesn’t appear to waver, just faces each situation with a calm and strength and knowledge that is truly a gift from God. For without those things, Daniel would have surely suffered greatly.

So here I am, challenged once again to let it all go, to trust God in all things, to surrender the people and things around me to the will of the Father; to walk ever forward, fulfilling my role as best I am able with the strength of my God. He has given me no reason to place my trust elsewhere, in fact everything in my life urges me to lay it all in His capable and loving hands. And yet I struggle again to lean into His sufficiency. Peace is not possible when I fill my hands with my worries and fears. Peace is possible only when I hand it over and trust. Because He is faithful, he is loving, he is good. And now nothing remains but for me to once again hand over the burdens for God to shoulder, take His hand, and follow wherever he leads. There is only One I trust to bring me through it all.