Week 9: Day 3

Intro: Hi and welcome back to Orbit, a short daily reflection to help you keep God at the centre of your life. My name's Iona and we're going to continue looking at the book of Daniel looking at the faithfulness of God.

Bible:

So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Thoughts: For Daniel, eating the Babylonian food and wine linked with a sense of submission to their beliefs (which he didn't want to conform to). It was compromising another level of his Jewish identity, so obeying God was breaking away from those customs.

1 Corinthians 10:23 says “Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you not everything may be good or helpful.”

For Daniel, in this position, conforming to the food and the wine that the Babylonians consumed wasn’t good or helpful. What I find striking about this passage is that we see Daniel and his friends were like none other – like non one else in the kingdom – because they obeyed God. And that is just a glimpse of our God – there is none like our God. He is the source of our distinction. How much more is he like none other.?!

Sometimes, we need to let our imagination run wild with God, for he always outdoes our version of goodness.

Ephesians 3:20 says: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen".

We see that glory of God throughout every single generation in the biblical narrative. In Genesis, we see God providing for us in creation all our needs in Genesis with the intricate details of creation. In Exodus, we see him being faithful to his people. He heard their cries and was not happy to sit back and do nothing. He led them out of Egypt and was faithful.

And then we get to Daniel, the same theme applies. Even in though his people are in exile and going through their toughest times... still God is faithful to his promises. Their obedience led to flourishing and favor and fruitfulness.

Then we get to Jesus, who was obedient to the cross, came to fulfil God's will and break every barrier between us and God. When Jesus' work was done, the disciples were promised with the Holy Spirit, empowering God's people to keep obeying God with his presence as a seal.

God has been faithful across every generation.

That’s some of the biblical narrative of God’s faithfulness, but what is his narrative of God’s faithfulness in your life? Sometimes it’s just about noticing it, but he has been faithful.

There's a really helpful prayer practice called the Examen, which is basically a reflective way of talking to God through four steps.

1. REPLAY – How was your day? How are you doing?
2. REJOICE – What are you thankful for? Why are you worshipping God today?
3. REPENT – What are you sorry for today? What might not have been in the footsteps of Jesus?
4. REBOOT – How will tomorrow be different?

Challenge: You might want to listen back and get a journal out and reflect on these questions again. Maybe you want to answer about this day or yesterday? Or maybe it'd be helpful to reflect even just the last few years and bring it before God.

1. How are you doing?
2. What are you thankful for?
3. What are you sorry for?
4. How will the future be different?

Do you see the threads of his faithfulness?

Outro: In closing, I want to acknowledge that our obedience will bear fruit and God is faithful to his promises. We don't always see that after 10 days like Daniel did – sometimes it might be across a whole lifetime.

Philippians 2:10-11 says that one day, "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and those on earth, and of those under earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".

God is faithful and we have this hope.