Faithful Under Pressure

For many of us, when we think of the book of Daniel, our minds immediately go to images of Daniel in the lion’s den or his three friends in a fiery furnace. The first six chapters of Daniel are filled with dramatic stories of courage and deliverance. When we look deeper, we also discover rich examples of God’s people wrestling with how to live faithfully in a world whose values and systems have no place for their faith in the one true God. We see exiles, taken from Israel to live in a foreign land, who both fit in and stand out, who are at risk for their faithfulness to God and faithfully contribute to the wellbeing of the society that holds them captive. We can learn a lot from Daniel. While we don’t face lions or a fiery furnace, we too need to discern how to live with faith and integrity in a secular world, trusting that God is always at work accomplishing his purposes no matter what.