Our sin runs deep, yet despite our faults God remains faithful. Faithful to demonstrate his love when we reveal our broken spirit in our books. Faithful to provide wisdom to others when we divulge our deepest thoughts in our devotionals. Faithful to comfort others when we share our stories in blog posts.
Because he is faithful, we can write with a broken spirit and offer our brokenness to God. Then he can use our words for his good.
Psalm 51:17 (ESV)—The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Daniel 1:2 (ESV)—And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
The pattern carved into gypsum sands shifted with my shoe prints, a mere blip for the weather and wind to transform into other patterns of swirls and arcs. The dunes at White Sands National Monument (now National Park) shift daily but remain rooted in the Chihuahuan Desert by an aquifer beneath the surface, I learned from the park ranger leading a tour.
More than a mere blip, “the Lord [giving] Jehoiakin king of Judah into [King Nebuchadnezzar’s] hand” (Daniel 1:2) changed the life of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The pattern of their life became one of trying to please the king while worshipping the King.
Nebuchadnezzar assigned them to eat the king’s food, food probably against Mosaic law and offered to idols. Not wanting to partake, Daniel spoke with the chief of eunuchs to ask for exemption from eating this food. The servant of the king did not want to allow this, fearing the king may take his life.
In response, Daniel suggested a ten-day test of vegetables and water. The end of the test would prove the healthier individuals. The four Hebrew men reigned supreme in the eyes of the king, and this altered the menu at the king’s table.
God’s work shines in this chapter. While the “Lord gave” (Daniel 1:2) Daniel and his friends to Nebuchadnezzar, he also “gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of eunuchs” (Daniel 1:9) and “gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom” and gave “Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17).
Through every shift, Daniel remained rooted in his faith, serving the King who reigns above all kings, and we’d do well to do the same. Our faithfulness roots us in God during every windswept shift and provides us consistency amid every change. Our roots drink the water of true life that sustains us in every situation.
