Daniel in the lions den

So it is the first linked blog post of the year, this time it was my choice and I chose to look at Daniel 6-1:25. As usual the corresponding blog will be published on my friend's blog Surrendering, please take the time to go and check it out. Also all of the past linked Bible studies can be found in the Linked Bible Studies tab above, feel free to check them out at your leisure.

At the very heart of this story is something that we can all attest to, jealousy and envy. How many times in life has someone beaten you to a job or position that you feel you deserve or are more than qualified. Have you ever been in a position where an outsider has come in and been promoted above those who have been there for years, over those who have worked hard for years. In this story we hear of Daniel the Jew who was favoured by  Darius and elevated to his right hand man, his go-to guy.

Now before we move on I want to put this into perspective. Darius was a powerful man, a very very powerful man. Darius the Great was King of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which at the time was the greatest Kingdom in the known world. He commanded a huge empire and a massive fighting force from which his son and successor would eventually lead a million men against three hundred Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae. From this we can see that being elevated to his right hand man would be analogous to Barack Obama appointing someone to watch over all of the 50 states and additional dependencies, a pretty powerful job don't you think.

Knowing that Daniel was a Jew the other Satraps and administrators decided they would entrap Daniel and back him in to a corner where he must either turn his back on his God or turn his back on his King. Knowing that his blessed position was a gift from God and not Darius, Daniel, as he always did went to his home in order to pray and give thanks to God as is right and proper. The other Satraps found Daniel doing this and must have been rubbing their hands together as they ran off to talk to Darius.

Once they had an audience with the King they reminded him of the new law he had made and that due to the laws and customs of the Medes and the Persians it could not be repealed. When Darius confirmed this and confirmed the punishment as set out by the law the Satraps sprung their trap for Daniel. They pointed out that contrary to the law that had been passed Daniel had continued to worship Yahweh.

Darius was greatly distressed by these developments and spent until sundown with his advisers and legal experts trying to do everything to save Daniel from the punishment of the lion's den. The Satraps reminded him that there was no way to repeal or change a decree from the King and as such there could be no way to save Daniel. And with that Darius agreed to throw Daniel to the lions den. However I love what Darius said to Daniel before the punishment was carried out.

Daniel 6:16

    The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this." 

We all know what happened next: Daniel was thrown to the lions and God sent an Angel to seal the mouths of the lions so that they would not harm him. The power of God saved Daniel and the next morning he remained untouched by the lions. The story continues with Darius rushing down to find out Daniel's fate and how he then deals with the Satraps and their families. But I don't really want to focus on that here, the revenge of Darius is a whole other post.

What I really think is the important part of this story is Daniels faith in God. Daniel who had been raised to such an elevated position of good grace in Darius' eyes risked everything up to and including his life for his faith in his God, our God. Would we have the same faith today? Would we be willing to risk all for our belief in our Lord? It is not a trivial question to ask, it is absolutely fundamental to your faith in God. Do you trust Him to be there for you in all things, to always watch over you and do what is right? Do you trust God with everything up to and including you life? If you believe he is all powerful and the creator of everything surely He has the power to always lead you on the right path. We may not always agree with His plans and ideas, we may not like them or may not see the reasoning behind them now but God knows the big picture, He knows all that has happened, is happening and will happen. Trust Him and like Daniel you will not regret the faith you placed in Him.

Please go and check out the corresponding post by Caron at Surrendering, and remember that all of the past Linked Bible Studies can be found by clicking on the link or by using the Linked Bible Studies tab above.

Disappointment

As I write this I don't' actually think I could feel worse. Last night I was full of energy from an amazing weekend with a group of amazing young Christians. Over this past weekend I have made a huge decision that has made me feel so calm about the future. I have talked to a number of people this weekend who are strong powerful and experienced Christians who have listened to me and been available for me to talk my worries out with. Through these discussions I have had a clearness of mind and a clarity of vision brought to me.

All of this sounds good, so why am I feeling so bad? The reason is that there is one step I need to take, one thing I need to do that will confirm I am ready to accept what it is I am supposed to do. It sounds very easy, all I need to do is tell one person the plan. The problem is that it is one particular person I need to tell, my Dad. The very thought terrifies me, it had me physically trembling last night just at the thought of it. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I am very rarely quiet, unless I am eating, yet last night I could barely string two words together. I arrived home last night so full of energy, so full of fire and determination to do what I needed to. Yet when it came down to it I sat shaking unable to say a word.

I tried looking in the Bible for verses to bolster my courage hoping that it would inspire me to go do what I need to do. While the verses I found did not instantly swell my chest and send me marching to do my set task they have helped build me up a little and I'm hoping they will resonate within me growing my courage until I can stand in front of the world (and my Dad) and announce the plans I intend to follow. The verses were;

Deuteronomy 31:6
    "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."

Joshua 1:9
    Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."

Daniel 10:19
    He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.'
    "Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage

The step I need to take will begin a new life for me, it will take me down a route I have for years tried to avoid. I know that it is what I will do, of that I have no doubt, but when seems to be the issue. I know that this step will put me further into the Fathers hands and that the enemy will not like that, and that the enemy will do everything he can to prevent this from happening. I need the Lords help, and if you are willing, your prayerful support. It is fear that is holding me back, not fear of the future or fear of the plan. But fear of disappointing my Dad, the man who has supported me for my whole life both financially and emotionally. Everyone I have spoken to has told me that my Dad will be happy and supportive of the plan, yet fear still grips me.

At the end of this blog I feel so much better than I did when I began writing. Seeing it all on my screen written down in front of me brings me comfort as I know that at least some of the people reading this will have been through similar trials and know how I feel. I know that there are prayers being said for me about this issue and that fills me with a sense of loving support. I know this will be resolved in the right way, and soon, but getting there has been and is a trial like non I have been through before. I am going to leave you with one of my favourite verses written by Paul, it's humble simplicity is something we should all aim for.

Ephesians 6:19
    And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time

Please pray for me, that I may have the courage to do what the Lord asks of me, that I may be everything He wants me to be. I pray that I find the strength and courage soon to follow God wherever He leads, whenever He calls.

Crisis

Well as I am writing this I am user as to which post I am going to put up today, it is a choice of two. If you are reading this post then it is good news, I am continuing my blog. Last night I had a huge crisis over whether or not to continue blogging or not. There is a very good reason for this which I may share in the future but for now I will just say an event caused me to question the wisdom of my writing so openly on here. If this post is the one I decide to upload then I have decided that this outlet for me to pour out my thought and feelings is too valuable for me to give up on. I have used this blog at times to express some very personal issues that I can not share with anyone in person, a way to get thoughts out of my head to be discussed later with anyone with thoughts on the matter. I am not great with relationships at the best of times and struggle to express my feelings at time, yet I can say anything on here I want to.

Daniel 9:4
    I poured out my heart, baring my soul to God, my God:
    " 'O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say.

Not only am I baring my soul online to you guys reading this, but this is also part of my life with God, it is part of my prayer life and Bible study. If we want God to never give up on us then surely we can at least try to do the same for Him. Part of starting this blog was to increase the amount of Bible study I did, and it has worked. I have been reading the Bible in ways I would never have done before, I have learned things I would not have learned if not for this blog. I am thankful for this blog, its followers and anyone who reads it in passing. Without realising it you guys are helping me on a day by day basis grow in my faith and progress on my journey with our Father. Trials will be sent our way and the enemy will test us at every opportunity, how we react is a sign of our Christian life, when we are struggling it will be hard and we may act in unchristian ways. When we notice these signs that we are struggling we need to increase our contact time with God, ask for increased help and give Him increased access to out hearts, minds and lives.

I do enjoy writing this blog, which is why I post so regularly, and I hope some people enjoy reading it. I hope to continue writing for the long term future to share more with you guys and hopefully hear more from you too. It may be significant that this event occurred while I decided to look at the story of Job, a man who suffered greatly. But as I have said before, God never misses an opportunity to teach us a lesson. If you are reading this there is therefore more good news, or possibly bad if you dislike the longer blog posts, the second instalment of my Job series should be posted at 6 pm GMT. Once again thanks for reading, it is great to have you here, please feel free to comment or send me a mail at jerrathorn@gmail.com.