Demonstrate Your Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1

Over the course of the last couple of devotions, we’ve learned a lot from the life of Daniel. We’ve learned about the importance of drawing boundaries. We’ve learned why it’s imperative that we define our convictions as believers. Both of these courses of action are absolutely necessary if we’re going to be ready and willing to put our foot down for the sake of what we believe. But that’s not all we need to do. There’s one other thing we can learn from Daniel’s story, and that is the importance of demonstrating our faith.

Daniel had no idea as a 14-year-old boy when he was taken captive in a foreign land that over the next seventy years of his life, he would climb to the highest positions in the courts of both Babylon and Persia. In the last years of his life, he would exercise more power than any other member of the Jewish race that had ever lived.

He had no idea that he would have the great privilege of leading his nation back to God and ultimately leading their return to their homeland according to God’s promise. God had a greater plan for Daniel than Daniel could have ever had for himself. Do you know why that plan was carried out? Because Daniel saw God’s line in the sand, and he refused to cross it.

That kind of determination and conviction requires faith. It requires an unbridled trust in God, believing that He is going to take care of you and see you through whatever difficult circumstances you find yourself in. Daniel had that kind of faith even when it seemed like he was out of options, and you can have that kind of faith as well no matter what you’re facing.

I hope that as you reflect on the story of Daniel, you will pray and ask God specifically to give you this kind of faith. Ask the Lord to help you be hopefully expectant for what He has in store for you, even when it seems like you’ve hit a dead end. Daniel is proof of that. May we be encouraged by his faith, his life, and his example.

Dear God, I want to be known for having amazing faith in You. I want to have full confidence that you’re going to come through for me in mind-blowing, expectation-shattering ways. I pray that you would give me that kind of faith and that you would help it be a faith that never stops growing. In Jesus’ name, amen.