Daniel 1: 3 – Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men. . .
As I studied the life of Daniel it occurred to me that Daniel lived a life he had not chosen for himself. Daniel was taken captive as a teenage boy, and lived the rest of his life in a foreign, pagan country. If he was given the choice as a young man I am sure he would have chosen a different path. Although looking back on the incredible life he lived, it was definitely God’s choice. Daniel became a statesman and leader, but also fulfilled his Biblical calling as a prophet.
Most of us are probably not living the lives we would have chosen for ourselves when we were young.That’s probably a good thing. We may have chosen a life of ease, wealth, fame, or the accolades of man. Or we may have chosen good health, ideal careers, no crisis moments or tragedies, perfect spouses and children. Although these may not necessarily be bad things in and of themselves, for many these things do not produce a hunger for God, or a depth of character.
The point being God knows what is best for us. Furthermore, what is good or best for one person, may not be good or best for another.
Romans 8:28 states, “ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This means what is good for us may not be what we think. God is looking at the end result that we are not able to envision. God has an eternal perspective. We don’t always have the perspective of eternity.
Philippians 1:6 – states, “He who began a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ.” God is going to be working out His purposes in our lives till He returns. His purposes may not always align with our purposes, wills, desires, goals, or dreams. The end result for us believers is to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior; whatever that may entail in this short life here on earth, or whatever it takes to get us there.
So while we live a life that may not be what we imagined for ourselves as a young person, or even as someone who has lived way past their youth, there are lessons we can learn from the life of Daniel:
- As a young man Daniel “purposed in his heart” to please God and not step out of His will. Daniel was held captive but he held onto his faith.
- Another thing Daniel did was to pray consistently. He prayed three times a day, I guess you could say he “prayed without ceasing.” Daniel made time to put his relationship with God first, this provided Daniel the ability to hear God speak to him, and also provided the strength needed to fulfill his calling.
- Lastly, despite opposition throughout the years, he allowed God to use him as his instrument. He did not let discouragement or adversity hinder him.
We as Christians need to accept the roadmap of our lives as coming from Him. So let us purpose in our hearts to hold onto our faith, put our relationship with God first, and move forward allowing God to use us for his purposes.
Recently reunited with and old friend who says she prays three times a day. Of course this is not a formula..but a reminder to stop and communicate with the Lord. I so need to do this daily as I’m one who needs to stay close to the Savior …if I neglect this then I become fearful and have a sense of abandonment. Thankfully God is always with us. But in our very busy and confused world it is imperative to pray unceasingly.
I need this reminder also, “pray without ceasing.”