I tend to be cautious by nature. This has helped me avoid some troubles at times, but on the other hand, sometimes I play it too safe. This may come as a surprise, since I am always encouraging people to take steps of faith and to push beyond what they feel their boundaries are. My growing edge is to leave fear behind and to walk by faith.

It was not like Daniel to play it safe.

Here's the story. Daniel's opponents knew he had too much integrity to embarrass, so they designed a legal trap and passed a law that everyone must worship Darius. What would Daniel do?

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." (Daniel 6:10 NIV)

This is not playing it safe. He knew that if he prayed to God instead of Darius, his life would be endangered, but he chose to do it anyway. He would rather endanger his body than his spirit. I don't think Daniel had any idea God would shut the mouths of the lions. I think all he knew was that it was better to step into eternity with a clean heart than walk down the street wearing the stains of compromise. That God spared his life was an unexpected bonus.

I had an interesting insight this past week. Fear and faith are similar in that they are both based on what we cannot see. With faith we trust that God has good things in store, even though we cannot see them presently. With fear we believe that bad things will happen. We can't see them, but we think they are there just the same. Unfortunately, the bad things often seem to be more real.

Daniel saw God's good things instead of anything else. Oh to have eyes only for faith.

Daniel shows us that if we are going to follow something we cannot see, it is better to step in faith. Forget playing it safe.

Hope this helps. Be OnFire.

Nov 14, 2006.