Key Verse: “In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God.” (Daniel 1:1-2a CSB)
Life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes we find ourselves in times or seasons of life that are uncomfortable or hard, circumstances that we would not have chosen for ourselves.
This was true for Daniel and the young men of Judah, as they faced difficult conditions that were imposed upon them. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had laid siege to Jerusalem and ordered Ashpenaz “to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility” (v.3) to Babylon. Daniel was one of many who were taken captive in this way. They were isolated from their families. They were forced to learn a new language. They were indoctrinated in every way in the culture of Babylon. They were even given new names that honoured the Babylonian gods. Without a doubt, this would have been a difficult and traumatic time for these young men.
Where was God in this moment? Why didn’t He stop what was happening? Why didn’t He step in and intervene? In reality, God was very much at work in the situation. God had not abandoned His people. He had not turn His back and washed His hands of them, allowing them to be taken into captivity by a foreign power. Verse 2 tells us that “The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to” Nebuchadnezzar. It was actually the Lord’s hand at work that had brought about these circumstances in the first place. As difficult as it was, what was occurring for the people was part of the sovereign purposes of God. It was His hand at work in their lives.
When life seems to go off the rails or take an unexpected turn for the worse, we can easily be tempted to doubt God or to wrongfully equate our difficulties with a lack of concern or power on His part. Yet there is comfort to be found as we remember His perfect sovereignty. God is always in complete control. He is on the throne. Whatever occurs in our lives is what He chooses in His love to allow. Even the suffering of His Son Jesus on the Cross was part of God’s sovereign plan to rescue and redeem us.
Whatever your circumstances, whether easy or hard, you can rest assured of His sovereign control and of His promise to work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28) according to His perfect and loving purposes. Entrust yourself again to the Sovereign God.
Prayer: I thank you God that you are sovereign over all. I surrender my life into your hands today. Whatever may come, thank you that you have it under control. I choose to trust you and to follow you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
