ABOVE AND BEYOND
Greetings church family!
This week we continue in our year long journey through the book of Daniel.
Daniel 1:15-21 - At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to attend the king. In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and mediums in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
The emperor penguin survives one of the harshest environments on Earth—Antarctica’s winter. When temperatures plunge below −40°F and winds exceed 100 mph, the female penguin lays a single egg and then leaves for the ocean to feed. The male is left behind, tasked with one responsibility: keep the egg alive.
For nearly two months, the male penguin stands almost completely still. He does not eat. He does not abandon his post. He balances the egg on his feet, covering it with a fold of skin to keep it from freezing. If the egg touches the ice for even a few moments, the chick will die.
Biologists note that during this time, the male penguin can lose nearly half his body weight. Predators, exhaustion, and brutal weather threaten him constantly. And yet, he remains faithful to the task entrusted to him. What is his reward for his faithfulness?
When the female finally returns, she brings food. The egg hatches. The chick lives. The male, who endured unseen and uncelebrated faithfulness, is finally relieved—and rewarded—with survival, nourishment, and the fulfillment of the very purpose for which he stood firm.
In this week’s Daniel 1 passage, we remember that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah made up in their minds that they would commit themselves to a diet of vegetables and water for 10 days, rather than consume the Babylonian king’s food. Their choice carried risk, as it went against Babylonian understanding of nutrition and healthy eating. Might the King bring punishment upon them and Ashepnaz, their supervisor, if they were found to be weak and frail after 10 days?
However, the passage states that “At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.” These 4 men stayed faithful to their conviction, and God rewarded their conviction.
Now, before we go on, I must stop to clarify something. First, these four men did not commit to their conviction for the purpose of receiving a reward from God. Their ultimate purpose was to bring God glory in all they did. The reward happened to follow, by God’s will. Second, these men saw a reward to their faithfulness after 10 days of faithful, unseen, behind the scenes discipline and restraint. Frequently, however, we may not see a reward for our faithfulness that quickly.
At 75 years of age, Abraham was promised descendants that would number as the stars of the sky and as the sands of the sea. Yet, Isaac, his first biological son, wasn’t born until 25 years later. Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery at 17 years of age. Years later he is thrown into prison. Throughout this time, Joseph remained faithful to God, but wasn’t released from prison until he was 30 years old. That is 13 long years of waiting for freedom.
All that said, God does reward faithfulness. In fact, God, who is above and beyond, brings about rewards that are above and beyond all the we ask or think. Our Scripture passage this week makes it clear that it was God who gave Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah “knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom.” [Daniel 1:17] Also, God gave Daniel the ability to understand “visions and dreams.” [Daniel 1:17] All of this as a result of embracing a conviction and carrying out what the conviction called for faithfully.
Church family, be encouraged by this. When God rewards faithfulness, it may not always look like immediate comfort or recognition—but it always results in life, purpose, and glory that far outweigh the cost. God always goes above and beyond to honor those who trust Him long enough to stand their ground faithfully!
Have a great rest of your week, church family!
Pastor Chris
