He was born into a socially elite family and had the physique of a Greek statue. Good looking, smart and trained to excel in the highest circles, Daniel had it all. Even though he and his peers were forced to live in a foreign country, they were chosen to serve the king and they were treated well: all the choice foods and wines they could consume. And if that wasn’t enough for Daniel’s resumé, God also gave him knowledge, wisdom and insight that put him in a class all by himself. And Daniel never forgot where his blessings came from so he stayed faithful to the dietary and moral standards of his faith, refusing the rich foods the king offered and remaining steadfast in his values, even when it meant his life was in danger. He served at the royal court even when the nation in power changed. King after king took advantage of this gifted man to run his kingdom.
One would imagine a guy like this, who possessed all the most enviable qualities in life, would also be pretty full of himself and might start to believe he deserved all the blessings God sent his way. I would. Not so with Daniel. The stark contrast between Daniel’s character and mine has hit me hard recently. Look at these passages that describe him:
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel… 17 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.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 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.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. (Daniel 1:3-9; 17-21)
Here’s the part I long to emulate in my life. Daniel has an encounter with God after some visions God gives him about the end of time. Heavy stuff, to say the least.
8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” (Daniel 10:8-12)
Verse 12 has been resounding in my head for days: “Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them”. Wow.
And the question I can’t answer or shake is this: What kind of daily decisions does it take to commit to understanding God and being humble so that God will come to me and I can have an experience with Him like this?
It seems to me that when God comes to speak to His people, certain characteristics in the encounter are usually present.
1. God’s gives a clear message. It was true with Daniel: God told him the interpretation of his visions. It was true with Jeremiah: God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth and told him to speak. (Jeremiah 1) It happened with Moses in the desert, Gideon, Isaiah, John and Paul. When God speaks it is clear.
2. The encounter is powerful. All the aforementioned men had dramatic physical responses to God’s voice. They fell on their faces. They trembled. They passed out. They were afraid and overwhelmed. I’m beginning to think this encounter with God is exactly what keeps them humble. And if it’s the only way to have the character God wants to develop in me so His kingdom can be advanced, then bring it on!
3.
There is reassurance. God knows how scary He can be. And rightly so. Lest we forget, He is the Creator of all that is seen and unseen and raised Christ from the dead. Yet He cares for His children and wants intimate and dynamic relationships with them so He comes in power and in love. He tells the trembling, frightened, cowering people He approaches to be strong. To experience peace. And to obey even when it’s going to be hard. When Daniel had been reassured, he recognized the source of his strength and was encouraged to hear and do more. “When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.’” (Daniel 10:19)
To be honest, this concept has raised more questions for me than it has given me answers. What I do know is this: I want to experience God fully. If it means I fall on my face, shaking, sweating, and crying, so be it. I want to be a woman who exudes God confidence, but is humble. The dramatic way in which men like Daniel experienced God is right up my alley. And I catch glimpses of it, but is it greedy to want more and more? I do. Regardless of what He has to tell me in those moments, sensing His powerful presence is enough. I want it to be enough all of the time.
Yet so much of my life doesn’t reflect this.
Powerful, loving Father, come to me. Not because of my righteousness, but because of your mercy. Bring me to my knees, on my face or whatever posture you need to in order to humble me and have me experience you. I come into your presence only because of the sacrifice of Jesus on my behalf. May I never take that gift for granted. Amen.
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory. (Psalm 63:1-2)
