Not many wise...

About six months ago I had this idea: What would happen if I started coming to the Bible as if I had never read it before? So I gave it a shot in search of the answer. I laid aside all my preconceived notions-- everything that I had ever heard or read concerning the interpretation of any given passage. Well, after half a year, here's one of the striking conclusions I've come to.

The Christian life is not about not sinning. It's about faith.

Oh but faith is so much harder than the former. It is the "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Faith takes courage. "Renew your mind," Paul says. But renew it on what? We renew it on the promises of God which are yet to be fulfilled.

This is now the standard by which I read my Bible. I pray for stronger faith rather than a more saintly looking life.

My latest sojournings have landed me in the book of Daniel. It's not hard to find faith in this man's life. But the most intriguing thing about this book is the result of that faith. Upon reading the first chapter, I couldn't help but notice that the concepts of "wisdom," "knowledge," or "understanding" are mentioned several times in those 21 verses. Daniel's wisdom, which seemed like foolishness to the Babylonians, was used to confound the wisdom of Babylon's sages and elders (Daniel being a teenager at the time). (side note: I love when the Old Testament so perfectly corresponds with the New Testament) Ok so faith resulted in wisdom for Daniel. But what did he put his faith in? It seemed pretty dark for him and his fellow Israelites-- they had just been taken into exile. Well here's the promise Daniel was holding fast to-- a letter, sent to all those in exile:

"For I know what I have planned for you," says the LORD. "I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you."

This is written to those in Babylon, not those who God allowed to stay in Jerusalem. In fact, God makes it very clear that those who were not taken into captivity were going to be destroyed by famine and war. Never did Daniel want to go home, I believe. Because he was convinced of the promises in that letter. That God would preserve him, and even make him prosper. And as a result, Daniel (a teenager) had more wisdom than the oldest, most experienced leaders in Babylon.

Epilogue

Daniel lived through the Babylonian reign and saw the end of Israel's 70 year exile. His faith was made sight. And that was only for a few of the promises. Think of those he sees now. And it's only the beginning.