Expectations

We all come to life with a certain set of expectations. I know I do! Expectations to be healthy, to be heard, to be respected, to be secure, and these are just a few. If we stop to think about it, expectations abound! So what happens when we face the unexpected? An illness, a broken relationship, a job loss; those things in life that are always unexpected. 

At first the unexpected circumstance can seem like a detour, a setback, or worse a dead end. But when the unexpected happens does it necessarily mean doom and gloom? Could it be the beginning of an unforeseen opportunity? God gives us numerous examples of turning unexpected circumstances into opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise. The life of Daniel in the Old Testament is a prime example.

Daniel was a bright, good-looking young man from a wealthy family with an array of opportunities before him. He lived in Jerusalem, the hub of Jewish civil and religious life, and had access to the best education and information available in his day. I imagine Daniel’s parents being so proud of their son and taking every chance to talk about their pride and joy.  There’s nothing like being a parent and seeing your children excel.

Then the unexpected happened! The Babylonians moved in with overwhelming force to decimate Jerusalem and disrupt every area of life. In an instant Daniel went from living a privileged life in Jerusalem to being a prisoner heading off to Babylon. Talk about unexpected. 

Early on in his days of Babylonian captivity Daniel decides to do something remarkable considering his unexpected circumstance. In Daniel 1:8 it says, “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.” In an unexpected moment when quite honestly it would have been easy to question if God even cared, Daniel determined that he would not defile himself. In other words, Daniel would not turn his back on God but hold to his convictions in the face of a ruthless king. Wow! A teenager away from his parents being instructed to eat a steak and drink some wine and Daniel says no. He knew the magnitude of the opportunity to stand up for his God and God stood up for him. He didn’t make a scene like many Christians unfortunately do today but with quiet resolve he asked permission to not defile himself and it was granted. 

Despite Daniel’s unexpected circumstance He determined to remain faithful to God and God blessed his life. It wasn’t easy by any means (a lion’s den is not a place I’d want to be) but Daniel’s determination to live for God always carried him through the unexpected circumstances he faced.  Imagine our homes, our schools, or cities if we had more Daniels. 

Life will always throw us a curveball from time to time but if we’ve determined to stand with God the unexpected can often lead to a work of God. The unexpected will always be a result of living in a broken world but I’ll leave us with this encouragement:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:38-39