Psalm 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”
I have had to survive a few tough circumstances in my life. Even as I started to read through the life of Daniel, I was facing yet again another family crisis. So, it was a great source of empowerment for me. Reading how God was there for Daniel, encouraged my heart.
Daniel lost friends, home and family; he was taken from everything he knew and enslaved in the service of a foreign king. His culture and even his very name were stripped from him yet this boy decided in his heart to obey His God and to trust in His care.
Daniel survived the trauma, because he knew that God still had a plan. His comfort was in knowing that God was in control and would take care of him.
Maybe Daniel’s mum had sat him on her knee as a small child and sang to him the great Psalms of David. Maybe he heard the story of Joseph who also was taken from his home. Whatever he had been taught growing up had instilled in this young man a sense of trust in the Living God.
Daniel’s name means God is my judge. I think this kept his mind in focus. He knew that no matter what happened and while captors might have felt they were in control and stood in judgement, Daniel knew better.
When life is difficult to understand and feelings cannot be trusted; you and I can trust in the living God who is our Dad and who cares about every part of our lives. Daniel survived life’s traumas because he trusted in the living God. So can we.