Trusting God in Real Life: The Example of Daniel

The other day I finally broke down and bought a new pair of shoes. My last pair of sneakers I purchased in 2019 and they lasted until 2023. Not bad. I hate shoe shopping. One thing you always do is try the sneakers on before you buy them. Obviously you want to make sure they fit. But then you do the whole looking at the shoes on your feet in the mirror thing. Why do we do that? Of course we want to see if we like how they look. But, another reason, at least for me, is it helps me think how those shoes will function in real life. It’s one thing to like them in store, its another think to like the shoes when you are out hiking in the wilderness, or fishing in Canada, or traveling across the globe. We look at those shoes in the mirror and try to imagine how they will feel in our natural rhythms of life.

That is exactly what I want us to do this morning in relation to trusting God.

What does it look like to trust God in real life? It is one thing to talk about trusting the Lord in the chairs of your church on Sunday morning. That is like looking at a pair of shoes in the mirror at the store. What about tomorrow morning when you have to wake up and start another week of real life?

How will genuine trust in a sovereign God change our daily behavior?

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV)

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

You may have received God’s Word in that you understood it. You may have accepted God’s Word in that you believe it is true for you personally. But, is God’s Word at work in you believer? What actionable ways are God’s Words working in your life right now?

“Full-grown faith is confident in the reliability of God’s words to the point that it operates on the basis of what God says.” —Layton Talbert

Faith is more than just knowledge or even assent; both knowledge and assent must find their way to activating the will to choose to trust what is known and assented.

How do we know if we really are choosing to trust the Lord in the actual moments of our lives? What might the actionable part of our faith look like especially when God providentially allows us to go through hard times?

This morning I want us to look at the life of Daniel and learn from his example of how confident faith operates in the real world especially during the hard times of life.

How do you know if you are genuinely trusting in the Lord?

From the life of Daniel I think we see several practical results that come from a genuine trust in God.

Genuine trust in God will result in peace as you acknowledge God’s providence in every detail of life (vv. 1-4)

Daniel 1:1–4 ESV

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Daniel endured hard times in his life because of other people’s sin.

Daniel 1:1 (ESV)

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Why did God allow Nebuchadnezzar to besiege Jerusalem? Because of the unrepentant sin of the nation as a whole. I think we could safely put Daniel and most likely his family in the faithful remnant category. That means the hard times he had to endure were the result of someone else’s sin.

Sometimes God allows suffering in our life, not because of our own sin. Sometimes we suffer as a consequence of someone else’s sin. And yet Daniel trusted God through it all.

What kinds of things might Daniel have seen and endured during the seige of Jerusalem?

Prophets Timeline

Lamentations 2:11–12 ESV

11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. 12 They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers’ bosom.

Lamentations 2:20 ESV

20 Look, O Lord, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Lamentations 4:3–4 ESV

3 Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them.

Refutation: You have more to be thankful for than you realize. None of us have endured what Daniel went through.

Illustration: Misha sent to the front lines, 4 hour life expectancy.

God is the one who allowed Daniel to go through very difficult trials

Daniel 1:2 (ESV)

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

The word “Lord” in v. 2 is significant. Daniel does not use the word Yahweh here. Instead Daniel uses the word Adonay, which means “Owner, ruler, or sovereign.” Daniel from the beginning is emphasizing the the sovereignty of God.

Governing Providence- God guides and governs all events, including the free acts of men and their external circumstances, and directs all things to their appointed ends for His glory.

God exercises governing providence over the big issues of this world.

Daniel 1:1 ESV

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

God is governing the world wide super powers of Daniel’s day.

God, in His providence, blesses, exalts and uses whom He will

Daniel 2:37 ESV

37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,

Daniel 2:38 ESV

38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.

God also exercises governing providence over the small details of your life.

Daniel 1:3–4 ESV

3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Small details under God’s providential control:

What details show God’s providential control over Daniel’s life?

The timing of Daniel’s birth

Daniel didn’t choose when to be born. God caused Daniel to be born during the worst period of Israel's history.

Have you ever gotten mad at God for the timing of your birth? “Why did I have to live through the pandemic / inflation / recession / war / etc?” If you have ever said that or thought that you are guilty of doubting God’s governing providence in your life.

The social standing of Daniel’s family

Ashpenaz was commanded to take into captivity those of the royal family and of the nobility.

Did Daniel have any control over what family he was born into? The likelihood is that Daniel was of royal birth. Josephus declared that Daniel and his three friends were members of Zedekiah’s family.

God providentially caused Daniel to enter into human history at the exact moment so that when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem Daniel was 14-15 years of age and part of a noble family.

The God-given natural abilities of Daniel

Ashpenaz was commanded to take only the youths who were without blemish, or good appearance, and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace.

Did Daniel have any control over his appearance, or the IQ? Those were God give abilities.

So God providentially placed Daniel in Jerusalem as a 14-15 year old young man, who was of royal birth, and who was uniquely handsome, intelligent, and skillful in all areas of life.

In other words, God was the master architect of Daniel’s suffering during the seige of Jerusalem, his capture and forceful removal from his homeland and his family, and his captivity and 900 mile exile to Babylon.

None of these details were for a moment outside of God’s control. In fact every single tiny detail of Daniel’s life was under the governing providence of an Almighty, sovereign, loving, God.

And so also is every tiny detail of your life believer! God is governing over every area of your life. And part of trusting God is acknowledging that important truth, sometimes on a moment to moment basis.

And you will know when you are exercising trust in God in this way because your fear will turn to peace. Trusting God and regularly acknowledging that every detail of life, both big and small, are under his providential control results in a peace that passes all understanding.

Philippians 4:4–5 (ESV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

What does it mean that the Lord is at hand? The Lord is near- close in time or place or relationship. God is all three!

And out of this truth- the Lord is at hand- the God of the universe is close to you, He cares about you, He is governing every detail of your life- you are his child! Based on this-

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How do you know if you are genuinely trusting in the Lord?

Genuine trust will result in peace. Secondly,

Genuine trust in God will result in faithfulness regardless of the factors that might lead others to compromise (v. 5-8)

Daniel 1:5–8 ESV

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Daniel and his three friends were taken to Babylon. They were enrolled in a three year long educational program, a pagan educational program. In my mind I thought about what it would be like if the state came and took my 15 year old son away from me, transported him across the globe, and then put him in a three year long propaganda-like educational program. That is a terrifying thought. But, apparently, Daniel had a godly upbringing.

Daniel 2:23 (ESV)

23 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

And he was spiritual stable enough to weather that storm. God, in his providence, did not put Daniel in a position he could not handle. Parents, it is never too early (or too late) to start discipling your children.

We see the character of Daniel shine through right away.

Daniel 1:5 ESV

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.

Daniel 1:8 ESV

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Two factors that would have caused Daniel to be reluctant to eat the king’s food.

First, many of the foods eaten at the Babylonian court (e.g., pork and horseflesh) would have been unclean according to the law of Moses (cf. Lev 11 and Deut 14), either inherently or because they were not prepared properly; for example, the blood might not have been drained from the meat (cf. Lev 17:13–14). To eat such foods would have been a sin for an Israelite and would have rendered the individual ceremonially unclean before God.

Daniel (1) Daniel’s Decision (1:8)

Second, the meat and wine would have been undesirable because a portion of it was (at least on occasions if not always) first offered sacrificially to the Babylonian gods before being sent to the king and was therefore associated with idolatrous worship.

Daniel (1) Daniel’s Decision (1:8)

partaking of this food would have been an indirect act of worshiping the Babylonian deities.

So Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself and asked the chief of the eunuchs about a compromise.

This decision by Daniel was an incredible act of character. Daniel had, humanly speaking, every reason in the world to just go ahead and defile himself with the king’s provisions.

But Daniel remained faithful! His faithfulness was significant for several reasons and it shows us what the actionable part of faith looks like.

To refuse the royal diet could have been taken as an insult to the king

Daniel’s refusal might have been perceived as an act of direct disobedience to Nebuchadnezzar’s orders.

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like?

Courage! Daniel trusted the Lord and that gave him the courage to potential insult and defy the most powerful man in the known world.

If we are really trusting the Lord we ought to have the courage to do what is right.

I am not going to lie to a customer even though my boss wants me to.

I am going to share my faith even though society might hate me for it.

Friends, do you see that kind of courage in your life? Are you genuinely trusting the Lord?

Pressure from Daniel’s peers made the decision difficult

Everyone else was doing it. By choosing this course of action, Daniel and his friends were setting themselves apart from the others. Now they were different, strange.

How many other Jews were taken into captivity with Daniel? How many refused the king’s table? 4! (God did give Daniel three friends to stand with him!). Daniel and his small group of friends did not buckle under peer-pressure.

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like? Perseverance

Daniel, because he trusted the Lord, was able to bear the weight of peer-pressure. He persevered in doing the right thing.

I am not going to go out for a drink with my coworkers after work. What if they label me the strange one? Still going to do what’s right.

I am not going to use the vulgar language like everyone else does at work. I am not going to cheat on my homework just because everyone else does.

Young ladies- I am not going to dress a certain way because the rest of our culture heavily pushes that on you. I am willing to be different, even strange. I will persevere and do what is right if I am genuinely trusting the Lord.

Daniel’s decision could have jeopardized his chances for advancement

At the end of the three years they had to go before the king. And that meeting would determine their placement in the empire. Choosing to defy the king’s table could have severely affected Daniel’s chance at “success.”

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like? Eternal priorities.

Daniel, because of his faith and trust, cared more about eternal matters than temporal earth advancement. He choose to lay up his treasures in heaven, not on the earth.

I am not going to falsify that report just to get a promotion. I am not going to bend the truth in order to make the sale. I am not going to use methods that appeal to people’s flesh just to fill the seats of my church.

The quality of food would have been attractive

The king would have eaten the best food in the land. And there was Daniel and his friends looking at the food, smelling the food, seeing others enjoy the food. And yet, they did not partake.

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like? Self-control

I am not going to have a third helping of dinner I want to be a good steward of the body God has given me.

I am not going to trade an extra half hour of sleep for spending time in my bible. Getting up and going to church. Spending meaningful time in prayer.

Their new location may have tempted them to be unfaithful

Daniel (1) Daniel’s Decision (1:8)

Judah was nine hundred miles away; parents and friends would never know whether or not they kept God’s laws. Yet Daniel and his friends were aware of a very important fact. Other people might not know their actions, but God would know, and someday all will give an account of themselves to him.

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like? A good character

Character is what you do when the lights are turned off.

I am not going to indulge my flesh in this sin just because I am home alone. No one is monitoring my internet browser. My parents are not here at school with me. My boss is out of the office on vacation. My husband is away at work and the kids are at school. I am away on a business trip and my family will never know.

Daniel could have become bitter toward God during this time

Daniel (1) Daniel’s Decision (1:8)

It would have been natural to argue that since God had not protected them from captivity—this horrible situation—they did not have to be careful to obey his commands.

If God is not going to do what I want, then I am not going to obey Him. God if you are going to allow my city to be conquered, if you are going to allow my family to be taken away from me, if you are going to allow me to carried across the world and put in captivity, then I am certainly not going to love or follow you! We can easily become bitter at God.

What did the actionable part of Daniel’s faith look like? faithfulness

Sometimes believers fall into this trap. All of these factors could have caused some people to compromise, but Daniel and his friends remained faithful to their God.

I am not going to allow sickness, loss of my job, a bad relationship, financial hardship, or any other calamity to grow like a root in my heart and cause me to become bitter toward God. If I really trust Him I will be faithful to Him even in the darkest of times.

Genuine trust in God will result in a submissive attitude not a lawless heart (vv. 9-16)

Daniel 1:9–16 ESV

9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Genuine trust in God will result in spiritual growth and understanding (vv. 17-21)

Daniel 1:17–21 ESV

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.