When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10.
We are examining the book of Daniel to help us Christian lawyers remain true to Jesus when our world pressures us to conform to a different mindset. We considered the crisis of belief in the Introduction and investigated how the courage of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were inspired by their cohorts, their leaders, and their own past “faith successes”. Daniel’s actions prove that we can be inspired by the faith successes of others as well.
Daniel 1 sets the stage. Judah was conquered by Babylon. Many young Jewish men were involuntarily enlisted to be in the king’s service, were deported to Babylon, and were treated to the king’s food as part of their training. Only Daniel opposed eating the king’s non-kosher food, and he enlisted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to join him in a vegetarian experiment. It worked. These four men were the healthiest of the lot and were elevated to high positions of royal service.
Two chapters later, we see Daniel’s three friends literally remain standing when the king ordered all to bow down to his golden statue. They risked their own lives as a trio cohort, having previously experienced God when following Daniel’s leadership.
Daniel is not mentioned in Chapter 3, implying that he was serving the king elsewhere at the time. We can safely deduce that Daniel heard of the heroics of his friends and of God whom they solely worshipped. Even before the advent of social media, the accounts of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s survival in the furnace surely went viral.
Three chapters and one military conquest later, Daniel now serves a different conquering king. Daniel’s fellow servants wish to remove him from their company and realize that Daniel’s only vulnerability is his unwavering faith in Yahweh God.
Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” Daniel 6:5.
They persuaded King Darius to issue an edict calling for all subjects to either worship only the king or be tossed into a den of lions. The word of this edict reaching Daniel.
When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10 (emphasis added).
At this crisis of belief moment, Daniel surely recalled how God honored his dietary faithfulness and how God honored his friends’ refusal to even feign idol worship. These past “faith successes” – both in his own history and in the known history of others – likely solidified Daniel’s unwavering faith that fueled his colleagues’ scheme.
As we face crises of belief, we must consider not only our own prior experiences with God but also those of others – whom we personally know or have read about in the Bible and elsewhere. Our personal inventory of “faith successes” may be more limited in number or context. But God has proven Himself countless times and in countless settings in the lives of others, whose accounts should bolster our own resolve.
Realize, also, that our faith successes can inspire others. This works only if we act in faith and tell of those accounts to make known God’s responses. Your remaining true to the Lord will encourage others to remain true to Him, too.
Take a stand for Jesus. Others’ faith success begets your faith success. Your faith success begets others’ faith success.
