“Blessed
While in the Dark”
September 2011
I have had the privilege
over the last three years to work with “at-risk” foster teens.
Two of the teens that I meet with are brothers, and although both of
them have some cognitive limitations, they both function very well.
Over the years these two boys (nineteen and twenty respectively) have
shown an interest in the gospel and have often attended worship
services with our family. Both boys were baptized when they were
young, but had yet to really commit their lives to Christ. As of
today, both boys have put their faith in Christ and our able to see
God's faithfulness in their lives.
Both of these young men have
experienced challenging times in their lives. The boys were removed
from their home in early elementary due to neglect, and later lost
their father to a heart attack. They have to date been in at least
four foster homes, and because of their developmental challenges will
likely have to spend the rest of their lives in assisted living.
They have had little relational stability in their lives.
While the organization I
work for is not of a Christian persuasion, I am able to share my
faith if the teens are interested. This offers me an opportunity to
do scripture studies with the boys from time to time, and currently
we have been reading in Daniel. Last night we discussed and looked
over Daniel chapter six. In this chapter is contained the very
familiar but poignant story of “Daniel in the Lions Den” (can't
you just see the flannel-graph?). This story involves many great
elements contained in any good story. You have the hero and the
villains; there is jealousy and betrayal; there is power and
corruption; and there is a miraculous deliverance. Of course, for us
Americans, we are missing a damsel in distress, but as we say in the
Chicago area: “What are ya gonna do?”
For me one of the most
interesting parts of the story is when Daniel is actually thrown into
the lions den. I think it would be naive of us to think that these
lions were just kept as pets and were just handy when a good
punishment was needed. No, these were most likely lions that were
kept hungry and angry for the very purpose of striking fear into
those that would defy the orders of King Darius. The lions den would
not have been a clean, bright zoo cage but a dark, scary place of
death. It would smell of death, and would strike fear into any one
that looked into it.
So, Daniel, without any
guarantee of escape or release from the Lord is cast into this
hellish place. His crime: seeking and knowing his God. He stays
there all night. He has only one hope: His God.
I will be meeting with the
two teens that I mentor soon. I will be sharing with these two
brothers how this story relates to their own lives. Daniel did not
have an easy life. He had likely watched as most of his family and
friends had been killed in front of him. He was dragged off to a
distant land in captivity, asked to risk his life to stay faithful to
God's commands, put in other life and death situations, and now at an
older age is cast into a place where numerous large ferocious
carnivores have been anticipating a visitor. Not only this, he has
gone from the pinnacle of career (being second in command of the
largest empire on earth) to lion kibble. And yet, with the aid of
his God, he chooses to trust this same God anyway. Would you have
blamed Daniel if he would have asked God, “Lord, really...haven't I
had enough trial?” Yet when Daniel trusted God he knew that there
would be great reward. He might have seen his reward as his death
and an eternity with the Lord he loved, but in this life it ended up
to be a mighty deliverance that gained the Lord's name glory and
praise.
21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his
angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me,
because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any
wrong before you, O king." 23 The king was overjoyed and gave
orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from
the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his
God.
26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people
must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living
God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his
dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs
signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued
Daniel from the power of the lions."
So the
next time I meet with my guys, I think I will have plenty of things
to talk with them about. There are no guarantees that things in life
will turn out the way we want them to. Challenges and hurts will
come; difficulties and frightening situations will present
themselves. However, when we trust in the Lord, we know that in the
end we will be blessed, and that his name will receive glory.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, people can see in our lives the
same kind of real integrity and devotion to our God that Daniel
displayed even as we go through brutally difficult situations. The
question is: Will we respond in trust?
With
his help, we are promised that the answer can
be “YES”.
Father Tom
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