Daniel

Daniel is one of the most popular people of the Bible. He is known for heroic deeds – sleeping in the lion’s den without being devoured, eating vegetables and water, and being healthier and wiser than all the wise men and interpreting dreams.

 In all these occasions, what seems to be outstanding is how God comes to save them. He gave them wisdom even when they ate way less than the others. He came through for Shadrach and his friends when they were thrown into a hot furnace. He came through for Daniel when he was thrown in the lions’ den.

The one thing not many people talk about is his diligence to God. Daniel is a man who loved God, and wasn’t afraid to show it. He openly showed his devotion to God. He asked the cook to make him and his friends a meal of vegetables despite the fact that the cook had been given strict orders not to do so. He asked the king for three days of prayer when the king had ordered that their head be chopped off. He prayed in public, on an open window, when the king had just minutes before ordered that he alone is to be worshipped.

 He stuck to God like glue even when death stared at him in the face. He was loyal to God when his enemies made traps to end him because of what he believed. He prayed and fasted, and was in constant communion with God. God was the centre of his life, and not vice versa.

 
No wonder, when all was done, God said to Him, “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance”

Groping about in the dark

Things are getting more and more confused. What was obvious is becoming less and less obvious. The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to dim, everything is pitch black.

All my laid out plans are vanished in thin air. My perfect plan A fell apart, plan B didn't even launch, plan C sounds like a joke from Comedy Central. What I thought I was turned out to be a fallacy; I was deceiving myself and walking on cloud nine. The people I thought to be my "friends" seem more of fans; they're there just for the show, and I give a very good show.

I feel like I'm groping about in the dark. I have no particular sense of direction. I'm totally dependent on faith and hope to get thru this. My eyes are failing me. I 'm all alone. I need to be moving on, but I don't know where. I need to make myself better, I don't know how. I feel battered by life, and left on my own.

So I wait. I exercise my hope and faith and wait. Waiting for hope, waiting for the day to come. Waiting for the light to come up again. Waiting for life to become bright and new. I have faith that all will come to pass, and I will smile again. I wait for a fresh breath of life, an infilling of joy, and peace to get me thru.

There’s still hope

Things are moving from bad to seriously horrible. Times are hard. The economy is getting worse, things are becoming more expensive.  What was earlier defined as “affordable” is being redefined as “unaffordable”. People are reviewing their items: what was thought of as a necessity is slowly being dumped in to the luxury list. Shopping, for many, is slowly becoming more of a painful necessity than of a fun thing to do. Before, it was fun to do “inky-pinky-ponkey” on the different items on the shelf to decide what to buy. Now, it’s “Oh my gosh! I can’t afford any of these!”

The worst part of it is that the income isn’t getting any better. Then notes and coins don’t seem to be expanding with the economy, in fact they seem to shrivel and wilt. The boss still doesn’t see enough reason to give the pay hike. The second job doesn’t seem to come; in fact, some companies have serious intentions to downsize to make ends meet. The money famine hits, and does this very, very hard. It’s drenching hot, and everybody’s noticing.

“I don’t even know where my money’s going!”

“I’ve officially reserved milk for Christmas. There’s just not enough money for it.”

“No more frequent visits to my parents. All communication will be online from now on”.

“Geez, with this economy who can afford getting children?”

  But, in the midst of all this hopelessness, hope can be found. Not just wishful thinking or escapism, but real hope. Serious hope. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke and learn from me, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". Jesus calls us to him for hope. He offers hope, free of charge. He gives us peace, the peace that passes all human understanding. He promises to take our heavy burdens, and give us his light one. He gives us rest, he makes us to rest. What He offers is incomparable to anything, and can be our help in time of need.

So, whether the note stretches or not, whether the money goes or comes, whatever it is, there's still hope.