Dare to Be a Daniel

Have you ever felt like God was giving you a theme each year? Some lesson that He wants you to learn? A truth or promise He wants you to stand on?

Last year’s theme for me was to “Be still and know that He is God.” It was also the theme of the Esther play put on by Sight & Sound theaters, which I had the privilege of watching the final dress rehearsal for – the day before COVID shut down the theater for the next several months. Watching that story play out, being reminded of God’s sovereignty, and hearing the repeated motif “Be still,” fueled me with encouragement that lasted throughout the rest of 2020.

Now, as we head into 2021, the book of Daniel seems to be the theme for this year. I’ve heard at least three people bring it up in the past few weeks, and I just happened to start reading it myself. The themes of this ancient book seem so relevant to today (in so many different ways) and I will probably be starting a blog series through its chapters shortly. But for now, to wet your appetite a little bit, here is a post I wrote back on New Year’s Eve in 2017. May it be an encouragement today!

On The Housetops

He was probably only about seventeen years old when his hometown of Jerusalem was torn apart by raids and war and siege. Even though he had remained committed to God in the midst of an increasingly unfaithful culture, he faced the consequences of his people’s disobedience along with everyone else. Did it feel unfair?

The survivors were forced on a 500 mile trek to Babylon as prisoners. There he must have presented himself well, because he was selected along with the very best for a special 3-year training program. At least he wasn’t alone – three of his friends from back home were also selected. His captors gave each of them a new name and introduced them to a whole new way of life – the way of Babylon.

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