You are Here for a Reason
And when the king came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lion’s mouths, so they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel 6:20-22
There is a saying, “if you would be put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” The point is that we should live our lives in a way that everyone around us sees our faith in God. We should not hide our faith, even if we fear ridicule (or in Daniel’s case, death). We can trust in God to protect us.
Showing our confidence in God and His promises can positively influence others. In Daniel’s situation, King Darius was so impressed that he encouraged his entire kingdom to follow the true God. Likewise, the Holy Spirit can use our confidence in God’s Word to bring another person to desire that same confidence for themselves. Like King Darius, that one person may then go on to bring many others to God (which is how many missions in Africa, India and elsewhere began).
We may occasionally find ourselves in situations where we have a choice to either hide or show our faith. We can confidently show our faith in God’s Word, excited about the possibility of bringing more people into the Kingdom of God through that powerful Word of God..
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never, forsake!
The Lutheran Hymnal 427:7