Daniel and his friends had ended up in a foreign land in exile. They had not been responsible for the political and religious policies that had caused this to happen, but they were suffering the consequences. We, today, might look at this situation and say: “Where was God? Why didn’t He protect Daniel from this disaster?”
God had warned His people repeatedly that exile would happen if they continued to refuse to follow Him. They refused and God acted. This may seem unfair to us because Daniel was a faithful follower of God. But God was still with Daniel and his friends, and God had a plan.
God used Daniel and his friend as witnesses and ambassadors of Himself to a pagan stronghold. Daniel 1: 17 God made the four young men smart and wise. They read a lot of books and became well educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions. 18 At the end of the three-year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. 19 The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court. 20 From then on, whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors and magicians.[1]
Daniel and his friend became living examples of how God’s people should serve Him in oppressive, hostile circumstances. God enabled them to serve in outstanding ways. The king just thought he was putting well trained people into place. He had no clue that God was helping these men and that as a pagan, he was doing God’s bidding. The king’s actions allowed God to begin to influence the nation of Babylon in a way that hadn’t happened before.
This kind of thing still happens today. We may be put into situations that we never wanted to be in. But instead of complaining, stop, look around, and ask God what He wants for you. None of us asked for the corona virus and safer at home restrictions. But how can God use you in this time for His glory? The answer may be different for each of us. Seek the Lord to see how He can use you in this time.
To hear more about Daniel and his situation, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/daniel-a-man-of-character/following-the-lord
[1]Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society