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Read: Daniel 1
Listen: Daniel 1

And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Daniel 1:2

The book of Daniel opens with a painful scene. King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem, takes sacred items from God’s temple and carries them off to the temple of a Babylonian god. To flex his power, he also takes many of Jerusalem’s brightest young leaders as captives, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Their world is shaken. Yet, instead of living in fear, these teenagers remain faithful. Daniel chooses to trust that even in exile, God is still working behind the scenes. Though everything feels chaotic, God has not lost control. God is carrying out his purposes for nations and for individual lives.

We experience our own version of exile in disorienting or painful circumstances. Sometimes, our exile comes from our own choices; other times, it comes from someone else’s. In those seasons, it can be easy to wonder if God has stepped back. But God often works in ways that are unfamiliar to us. Even in confusion or heartbreak, he gives us glimpses of his restoring work. He restores through simple obedience, moments of forgiveness and ordinary places where Christ is acknowledged. Through difficulty, he shapes endurance, grows spiritual maturity and deepens our hope in him. These glimpses remind us that a greater restoration is coming – when Jesus returns to make all things right.

TODAY: Ask God to give you fresh eyes to see one way he is at work in your life right now. Write it down, thank him for it and let that reminder strengthen your hope.