Nehemiah 9:22-10:39
1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13
Psalm 34:1-10
Proverbs 21:13
Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
This verse led me to reflect on what I fear. Heights, under certain conditions. Failure, definitely . Physical pain? We were just at Pearl Harbor, and it was cause for me to talk about what happened in the Philippines during World War 2, so yes, physical pain. But what really worries me, what keeps me up at night, what seems to tie in so many of my other fears, is the fear for my children's future - particularly when one looks at the way the world is going, the values it espouses with such growing certainty.
Prov 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go
And even when they are old they will not turn from it
I am going to cheat a bit here, and reference readings other than today's when reflecting about the verse above. We are away on holiday, and were privileged to hear a sermon preached about Daniel. That sermon opened my eyes, not just to Daniel, but to his parents. We all know that Daniel and his friends were taken away by the Babylonians when they conquered Jerusalem. And perhaps we like to think that they had it pretty easy, having been adopted into the king's household and given the finest food and drink. How tough must it be to live in the king's palace, after all?
See, here's what had never occurred to me. When Daniel was taken, he was a teenager. Consider his likely circumstances: the rest of his family was likely murdered - quite possibly in his presence; he was likely castrated, which is what was done to servants - foreigners especially - who entered the king's household. And he was dragged away captive to an unknown fate, fearful for the worst. What a recipe for someone to turn out angry and bitter, particularly at everything he'd put his security in - God, for example.
It gets worse. When he gets to Babylon, the attempts to wean him away from his old life, habits and beliefs, begins. He is taught a new language. He is enticed with food and drink, likely prepared in violation of his beliefs. He's put in the luxury and comfort of the king's household. And he's given a new name - his old one is replaced with one more representative of his new environment; the new name perhaps the final nail in the coffin of his old life under God?
We know how the story develops, though. Daniel refuses the king's food and drink, and asks for food he knows will not violate God's commands. We know that even when the king passed a decree that no man should pray to anyone other than the king on pain of death that Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day. Daniel separated himself to God...to the God whom many a bitter teenager has rejected for far far less than Daniel had to endure.
What Daniel did, the choices he made, the decision to separate himself to and for God, is nothing short of amazing. But, as father to three children myself, what I want to know is, what the heck did his parents do to raise him to be that way? As much as I hope for good things for my children, I fervently, even desperately desire, however difficult the circumstances they find themselves in may turn out, that they cleave to God the way Daniel did.
Father, I seem you as we pray for our children. We thank You for the privilege of being their parents. And we come to You in our imperfection, delegating their upbringing upward to You, that they might grow to be as faithful to You as Daniel was, whatever circumstances You might choose for them to face in their lives. Take away our fear for their future, in the knowledge today that they are in Your care. In Jesus's name we pray.
PS - As the world is caught up in the spectacle of physical achievement that is the Olympics, I cannot help but bring up the amazing story of Simone Biles. So much of the focus has been on how she is the first African American to win the all around gymnastics gold. It is amazing to read about the circumstances of her life, and how God has been such a huge part of it.
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