Day 179- Trustworthy

📖Daily Reading

 Daniel 1-12

🎥 Video  

Join me on my morning walk as we rise and shine together by walking through the Bible daily and learn a practical applicable coaching nugget from the ultimate life coach - our creator (whatever that means to you). No judgement zone here, all are welcome, we are all on a spiritual journey because we are after all spiritual beings having a human experience.

 

📝 Reflection 

 Daniel 10:18-9

    Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

 

When we think of Daniel we often think of strength; strength of body, strength of mind, strength of spirit, strength of will and strength of character. All of this is true and is very apparent in the stories many of us are familiar with. Fasting on vegetables and water, surviving the fiery furnace, being thrown into the lion’s den, etc… All amazing feats of faith, strength and courage.

As I was thinking about the book of Daniel as a whole, I thought about what does it say about Daniel as a person as a whole. Then I thought about what if there were a book of Felecia- what would be the takeaway from my life and stories?  Then I thought, I have a lot of work to do🤷‍♀️. But Daniel has given me a lot of inspiration, examples and food for thought!  

I really was captured by this verse in chapter 10. Daniel is visited a fantastic vision by a man who gives him elaborate visions, and at one point I think Daniel is so overwhelmed by the enormity of the visions and their meaning that he feels ‘anguished’ and weak.  Then there is this tender scene. What kind of man gets a direct vision from God and an angel encouraging him and literally restoring his strength and reminding him that he is precious to God?

As I pondered and meditated on the book through the lens of this question I landed on the word trustworthy. Daniel had complete trust, loyalty and faith in God and his life and every decision he made was based on this trust. Throughout the book of Daniel we see that Daniel had a reputation of also being trust worthy. He was put into high positions, the kings he served had trust in him, even though he would not comply to the letter of every ‘law’ the Kings put down. He refused to eat the kings rich food. He was so well thought of. He was also very savvy and wise, he said 'hey let me just try it'. The point of the law is that he wants his men strong, let me do it might way and test me and as long as the outcome is that I am still strong then what is the harm?  They agreed with him and allowed their to be a trial period, he passed and was allowed to eat in a way that aligned with his faith and with the King. He was able to find a ‘win’ ‘win’ solution. 

In the story that ends with him being thrown into the lions den. His jealous ‘co-workers’ can’t find fault with him, so they catch him on a technicality. They see that he is still praying to his God, even though the king had forbid it. The king himself did not want to enforce his law against Daniel because he was so trustworthy and valuable. He reluctantly allowed his law to be enforced but quickly rushed to the lions den the next morning to check on Daniel and was ‘overjoyed’ to find his friend not only alive but untouched. Chapter 6:23-24 “The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel He had them thrown into the lions’ den…”. In verse 26 of the same chapter the king goes on to make a decree and proclamation “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God., and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed and his rule with never end.”

Because Daniel trusted God so completely and he himself was deemed as completely trustworthy, because of the evidence of his trust, faith and loyalty to God above anything even under threat of his own life. God became known and trusted by the King of Persia who in turn decreed that everyone should do likewise!  WOW! Back to chapter 10 vs. 12 “Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before you God, your request has be heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.”  A complete circle of trust. Daniel decided to stake his life, his identity, his everything on the trustworthiness of God and in return he experienced what few humans are able to. Although he was faced with what seemed like certain and impossible odds at times, he was saved, he was used for literal and spiritual Kingdom building purposes and received direct visions and interactions with God and two of his angels, Gabriel and Michael.  

 

✍🏼Daily Journal Prompt 

What would your book say about you? Through the Bible we hopefully receive the given message that we are precious to God, but is God precious to you? Do you trust Him?  

📖Tomorrows Reading

Hosea 1-14 

Coaching Opportunity

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