The Example of Daniel

W ritten by M eagan t aylor

Before we can begin to restore our relationship with God, we need to understand that this relationship is broken to begin with. We also need to understand why this relationship is broken. The relationship is broken not because of anything God has done, but because of what we, His people, have done. We have turned away from God’s standards (think of the Garden of Eden) and made our own path. The condition of our hearts is the problem. We have allowed sin to creep in and we have left this sin unchecked. The negative situations that we find ourselves in has left us hopeless and we don’t turn to God for help. If anything, we make it worse by leaning on our own understanding with sin festering in our hearts. This is a dangerous combination. So, what practical steps can we take to check our hearts, repent, and draw closer to God? Daniel provided us with a really great example of how we can choose to restore our relationship with God. But Daniel purposed in his heart (made up his mind) that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (Daniel 1:8) “I was mourning for three weeks; I did not eat any pleasant bread (rich foods), meat or drink any wine...until the three weeks were passed.” (Daniel 10:2-3) “He knelt down at the open windows and prayed to God three times a day and gave thanks to His God.” (Daniel 6:10) Daniel took a stance to lean into God and to discover what God had to say about his situation that was leading to his suffering. He prayed and fasted day and night. He even went as far as making this public. Daniel‘s statement of faith was not just a private act. When Daniel heard about the law, he immediately turned to God. This was a terrible situation that he found himself in. Daniel refused to conform and disobey God. He also did not act sinfully in response to the situation. He went home, and in his upper room, with windows open, in full view of anyone who

wanted to spy on him, he knelt and prayed to God. This was in violation of the law just signed by the King, and of course, the spies watched him. Daniel knew that God cared about him. He knew this because he took time to get to know God. Daniel was under great oppression and experienced great suffering. He could have gotten angry and sinned, but instead, he committed to prayer and fasting. His heart remained pure, his hands remained clean and his eyes were fixed on God. Ultimately, the only way that we can address this issue of separation from God is to check the matter of our own heart and to learn to guard our hearts by reading the Bible and obeying it just like Daniel did. Instead of allowing sinful thoughts to remain unchecked, we confess them to the Lord. We allow His love, joy, and peace to replace the negative attitudes which are festering inside us. The Bible is clear about this as Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” So friends, just like Daniel, let’s remember that God is on our side and He wants us to be restored back to Him in the midst of suffering – to experience His freedom, joy and relationship. The Bible says in Daniel 6:16: “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”