The God Who Remains with Those Who Feel Exiled - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 10

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The God Who Remains with Those Who Feel Exiled
By Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:
"Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel." - Daniel 1:6-9

Political change, company takeovers and buyouts, national or global unrest often leave us feeling unsettled and anxious, and understandably so. Those who lead our state and country wield significant power—but not even the most powerful earthly institutions and officials can thwart God’s plans for us or His kingdom. He remains on His heavenly throne, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office—or holds the position of CEO in the company for whom we work. He is our Father and King who loves to lavish His children with favor and grace, as He did with Daniel, the exiled Hebrew teenager selected to receive special training to enter the royal service. 

The chief of staff also gave him a Babylonian name, as the IVP Bible Background Commentary states, to “exercise authority over them and their destiny,” adding that “since names often made statements about deity, Babylonian names would impose at least a subtle level of acknowledgement of the Babylonian gods on the young men.”

This is, in part, why today’s passage holds such significance. According to Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, “the faith of one man, Daniel, influenced and helped preserve the faith of a nation. He took his stand for God and was rewarded for his faith. He became, in effect, the prime minister (Dan. 2:48). And he continued in some sort of leadership role until the first year of Cyrus (Dan. 1:21) and even into his third year.” 

His courage, position, and influence likely allowed the other exiles to practice their faith in a foreign land with decreased fear.  

Intersecting Life & Faith:

As I mentioned at the beginning of today’s reflection, upheaval and change, both nationally and globally, as well as economically and in our workplaces, can leave us feeling vulnerable and defenseless, as if our well-being rests in someone else’s hands. But God’s protection and elevation of Daniel, and all the Lord did through him during the exile, assures us this is never the case. God remains on His eternal throne, advancing His will, always and forevermore.

He never abandons His children. Because of Christ, who surrounds us and resides within us, we are never defenseless. We belong to, are held and carried by, and provided for by the Almighty. He sees us in our fear and pain, understands our most intense emotions, moves toward us in our need, and promises to bring good out of today’s chaos and hardship.

Daniel’s story, and the favor and compassion he received from the Babylonian official, verify the truth in Proverbs 21:1, which reads, “In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.”

God can, and often does, work through the most unlikely individuals, pagan leaders included, for the good of His people. Through the exile, perhaps the darkest season in ancient Israel’s history, we see His light breaking through, because, as John 1:5 states, His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not, and cannot, overcome it. 

His light has the power to break through our darkness as well. The darkness we might feel internally, when depression, sorrow, or grief weighs heavily on our souls. The darkness is attempting to destroy families battling dysfunction, estrangement, betrayal, or addiction. The darkness is creeping into our workplaces, cities, state, and nation through violence, injustice, corruption, and oppression. 

Lastly, Daniel’s story encourages us to anticipate miracles and, when all hope seems lost, to fix our eyes on the God of hope who is always working on our behalf and loves to replace ashes with beauty. 

Further Reading:
Psalm 90:17
Isaiah 58:11
Psalm 5:12

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Matthew Henry 

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.

She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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