By Pastor Daniel

Introduction
The year 2021 has almost come to an end.  Many things have changed.  From a small threat, it had rolled to a pandemic.  Not able to get around the situation, it is not turning into an endemic.  We had roller-coasted from faith to fear, lockdowns to open-ups, from varied opinions of vaccinations to varied opinions of gathering.  Now we are hearing that we are expecting the numbers to rise further to obtain “herd immunity” (for some we are still wondering what that means).  Can we survive this?

That was the question I also asked during one of my devotions and as I was doing that, I read this verses in the Bible from the book of Daniel.

Daniel 2:10, 13
“"There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean….So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed, and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.”

In chapter 1, the note ended with Daniel and his companions being bestowed with God’s blessing, specifying that Daniel has the ability to see and understand visions and dreams.  All these young men from Israel took their stand in their beliefs and their commitment to Yahweh God.  It has set the stage already that God is going to do something great in him.  Then came this incident that the king made a ridiculous request = firstly to reveal what his dream was and then to grant him the interpretation of it.

A Ridiculous Situation
We can see how ridiculous a demand the king made on his subjects.  He had a disturbing dream and demanded that the wise men of his courts to firstly reveal the dream that he had and also to explain what the dream meant.  When we read of this account, we too would shake our heads and wondered what this king was thinking.  He had indeed gone bonkers.  How could anyone survive this situation?  It would only mean that the whole council of wise men in his court will be executed.

How then can Daniel survive this?  How would Daniel’s faith stand out?

I relate what is happening today.  As leaders of the church in FCC, we are praying that God will reveal to us his direction in this new situation. Pastor Long Kin shared in his devotion about the new way that is to be opened before us in one of his devotional sharing.  However, what then is the new way given the pandemic situation that is going to change the way we look at life, the way to operate in today’s world, and the way we are going to do church.

In some ways, I am sure we are thinking how we are going to survive this situation today.  For some it is not going to be easy as we struggle with the changes in life.  Who are we to turn to?  Some are already feeling frustrated, thinking of the length of this current ordeal.  How can I cope anymore?  Why is God not removing this pandemic from our midst?

Can my faith stand out in such “outstanding” times?  Can I survive this?

A Ready Spirit
The respond of Daniel is one that is willing to trust God.  It says in verse 16, “And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.”

His, was a readiness of spirit to trust God.  When he made that request, I wondered if he had already known the dream and its interpretation.  Why would he be so bold?  Where did his courage come from?  I am sure he had not, but this was where his faith in God stood out.  He knew that God had a purpose in giving him the gift of visions and understanding.

He was ready to face “ridiculous” time with faith and courage in God.  He submitted himself to God and embrace the situation he was put into.

I know that it is difficult to be in Daniel’s position, but we too must be ready to face such similar situations.  The church of God has always been challenged to face such situation from the very beginning in the book of Acts.  Persecutions, being ostracised by family and society was something they have learned to embrace and trust God.  Fierce oppositions were not alien to the church of God even today.  Natural disasters only shake the people to turn their faces to God.  I trust too that with this pandemic or endemic, we are ready to be used of God to bring out the purposes of God in our times.

Conclusion
As we the leaders gather to pray and seek the Lord, do pray for us.  Pray that we will see streams in the desert, highways through the wilderness and do what God was commanded and willed for FCC.  May God bless all of us as we hold hands and make this journey together.