Even under pressure
Daniel was an Israelite in exile. Employed for service in a foreign government he had risen in the ranks through diligence and faithfulness. This made him a target and an object of jealousy among his fellow civil servants and they hatched a plot to frame him...They had King Darius issue a decree that people were not allowed to pray to any god or man, but himself. This was a perfect ambush because it was well-known that Daniel prayed three times a day.
What would you have done in Daniel's shoes? You could pray in your heart like Hannah the mother of Samuel did ("Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. (1Sam1:13)) and God answered her prayer! Or you could close the windows so that they couldn't see you. (It was Daniel's habit to pray with the window open facing Jerusalem.)
Daniel chooses to pray as usual with the windows open. This is courageous and admirable. But the thing that strikes me the most is the agenda of his prayers!
It is the agenda of thanks-giving.
To be brutally honest, if I were in Daniel's shoes, my agenda may have been slightly different:
- "Lord I've worked so hard - and now they're ganging up on me."
- "Lord you know this is a trap - why are you letting them get away with this?"
- "Lord! It's not fair!
- "Lord, I'm scared - I don't know what to do."
- ... and numerous variations on these themes!
But Daniel has an ingrained gratitude-attitude: Through repetition and practice he has learned how to count his blessings and recognise grace-in-the-midst-of-trouble. Even as he anticipates the springing of the trap, he finds reasons to give thanks.
I think the key words in today's reading are: "just as he had done before."
I think expressions of thanks, when sincere and heart-felt are, incremental and cumulative - Each act of thanksgiving stands on the shoulders of the previous expression of thanks and, as we practice acts of thanksgiving, these accumulate to create a deep well of thank-FULL-ness inside us.
| 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. (Daniel6:10 ) |
