Trusting a God you cannot see

How do you trust God?

This can be a hard question to ask, especially when we want something physical to hold on to.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

To start with Daniel, we know this about him. He loved the Lord. He loved him more than anything else. So much so that people around him knew that too. The people there were about lose their power, and they did not want Daniel to lose it. They knew that they could not get him to fall in terms of political, moral, or ethical issues, but they knew that he would not compromise on his beliefs and convictions.

If this is ever said about you, that is such a good thing.

So they devised this plan.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

The others even used the kings pride against him here so that he would sign this decree in place. This was all a plot to get Daniel out of the position of power that he held. They were trying everything they could because they knew that Daniel was not going to

English Standard Version Chapter 6

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Daniels response wasn’t to leave, or change anything, but rather to turn and pray to the Lord.

What we know is that as this story continues, it did not get easier for Daniel. In fact, it got harder. We know that while he was praying to the Lord, the men still conspired against him, and eventually went to the king and told them that he broke a law and that he must be punished. More than anything, he was to be thrown into the lions den like the order was given.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

How are you feeling right now if you are Daniel? What thoughts do you have?

How can I trust God?

How can I trust God?

I was doing everything right, how is this happening?

How can I trust God?

I was doing everything right, how is this happening?

Why do I feel like my prayers are just hitting the ceiling?

These are are very really valid feelings that I imagine a lot of us have felt at some point in time. It can be hard to want to trust God when we cannot see him. It can be hard to trust God when bad things happen all around us, that sometimes feel like they happen for no reason at all. It can be hard to trust God when the world is constantly telling us not to. Even harder when it seems “easier” to follow the world and not the Lord.

Psalm 22:1-2

Psalm 22:1–2 ESV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

This isn’t something new either. You are not the only person in all of history to feel this. In Psalm’s we read this. I am sure that if you asked your parents, your mentors, even your pastors, that there have been moments when we have felt this.

But this is all a lie that Satan want’s you to believe. He wants you to believe that you are alone. He wants you to believe that God is not listening. He wants you to feel like your prayers just hit the ceiling and come crashing back down. And He will use everything around us to try and do so.

How do we trust God?

It starts with praising Him

Psalm 22:3–4 ESV

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

Even in the midst of crying out to God because they felt like they were left alone, they praised His name.

Daniel, in verse 10, knew that if he was caught would be put to death, still went in and praised God. He gave thanks to Him, knowing full well that he might die.

It starts with praising Him

It continues by knowing what He has done

In Psalm 42, we see that they reference back to what God has done for them. This would have been stories that their parents told them, that their parents told them. They would have learned all about what God has done for their people, and they know that He delivered them then, He will deliver them now. In the same way, we can look back at what God has done through our lives, and through the lives of others.

When was the last time you asked someone their testimony? When was the last time you asked someone else what God has done in their lives? We can look back and know that He has gotten others through, that He can be trusted, that His plan will not fail, because it never will.

It starts with praising Him

It continues by knowing what He has done

He may not pull you out of it, but He will be with you through it

English Standard Version Chapter 6

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel still went to the lions den. He did everything right, and still went to the lions den. Often, we may not understand why we have to go through certain things that we wanted to be pulled out of. But ultimately it is so that God gets the glory.

James 1:2–4 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

We know that God may not pull us out of every situation. There may be a trial that we have to go through, but it is so that steadfastness, a faith like Daniel in all things knowing that just because this bad thing might happen, it does not mean that God is not there, or that I cannot trust Him, but rather that He is still good, and He will still carry me through it and get the glory.