There’s Hope

Sometimes life gets so hard that you wonder if there’s any hope.

For example, after a near miss with Hurricane Nate (near miss from my point of view not from all of my friends and readers in South Mississippi), there is another system in the Atlantic.

When we reflect on Las Vegas, we wonder if there is any hope. As we think about big cities and their horrible crime problems, we wonder even more if there’s hope.

Sometimes when we think about our culture, we worry if there’s hope for the future.

When I start worrying about these things, I often go to the Book of Daniel.

For a variety of reasons, Daniel’s prophecy is filled with hope.

One of the main reasons for hope was Daniel himself and his three Hebrew friends. We know the friends as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their given names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Those names reflected their parents’ love for the one true God and their commitment to Him.

Daniel and his three friends displayed an amazing commitment to the one true God.

What is it about these four young men that gives me hope?

First, I feel hope because of how young they were. When they were taken to Babylon (without their families), they were probably teenagers. They lived in a foreign land without family or friends around him. They had no one to tell them what to do or even to make good suggestions. Yet, they lived exemplary lives which were wholly dedicated to God.

In the face of unspeakable evil and horrible persecution, they stood strong (Daniel 3:16–18).

Second, I find their unwavering commitment and clear understanding of God amazing. It gives me hope.

This is what they said about God: we believe our God can and will deliver us. But if he does not, we will live in commitment to Him no matter what. They assured the most powerful king in the world they would not bow down to his image or reject the God of their fathers.

We can all take hope in young people like these. Here’s the really good news: there are many young people like these four. They will be faithful in spite of the persecution and pressure. They will lift up the name of Christ and make His name known.

Finally, I have hope because God’s promises are true. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Even in the worst of places and the worst of times, God was present with Daniel and his three friends.

He will do the same for you and me.

Thank you for reading. Would you share this with your friends and family? If you would like to receive all of my daily posts, you can sign up at waylonbailey.com or in the box below.


 

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