I want to finish my newsletter sharing something the Lord taught this past month. I was reading in the book of Daniel. I was reading in chapter 6:10, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” I have read this story so many times, but I never really reflected much on Daniel’s attitude. He was just another hero of the Bible who did something great and was blessed because of it. This time around, I began to wonder what caused Daniel to go back in front of his window where everybody could see him, kneel down, and pray. God can hear us anywhere; it is not that God expected him to kneel in front of that window. God would not have punished him if he had rather prayed in a closet or in his head. I began to realize that Daniel was so committed to his relationship with God that he would rather die in a lion’s den then to be distanced from God. Daniel was not looking for any human approval of what a ‘brave, strong, godly man’ he was. Rather, his focus was wholly on God. He knew exactly where he wanted to be, and that was in His presence. I realized that I am often guilty of fearing those around me, what they will say or think. I allow those things to take 1st place in my life, which ends up distancing me from Jesus. I am amazed at how the Bible never stops working in our lives, God always is ready to speak to us through His word if we are just willing to listen.
