Doing the Right, Hard Thing
“Praise be to the name of God forever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Daniel 2:20-23, NIV
The book of Daniel is strange and wonderful! It is mostly famous for the story of the lion’s den that many of us read as children, including the story of Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace. It’s a book that focuses on God’s people maintaining hope in the land of their conquerors.
Again and again, Daniel and his friends choose to live lives that are faithful to the law of God while surrounded by adversity and persecution. God repeatedly makes miraculous provisions they refuse to worship other gods or ‘defile’ themselves in pursuit of an easier life. Daniel is a book about finding hope in hopeless places and trusting that God will look after the things we can’t control.
These verses in Daniel remind me that I do not have the full picture that God has and that I need divine wisdom to live in a world that is confusing at times. I may not always have the answers but God always does. When I don’t have perfect human wisdom,God delights to reveal His truth to me in ways that I can understand.
When we are tempted to make a poor decision to pursue an easier life, these truths can help us: nothing is hidden from God: not our actions, not our hearts nor the actions or hearts of our adversaries. God sees the full picture: He knows the situation from every angle.
When I’m in a situation in which I cannot fathom how I will come out unscathed, it’s not my wisdom that is needed, it’s God’s wisdom. It’s also His courage I need to do the right thing or the hard thing.
Just as Daniel was given the wisdom to interpret the king’s dream and courage to live a life that glorifies God in a difficult situation, we can do the same in whatever difficulty we face.
Prayer
Direct us, O God, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“The Book of Common Prayer,” page 832.
