Some of Jesus’ words hit me more than others. For instance, when He tells the pharisees, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3) I’ve made it my business interpreting the signs of times, not in eschatological sense, but concerning my own walk with God. I still get it wrong just as many times as any meteorologist, but for the most part I know the proper conditions that can bring about a storm or a sunny day.
Knowing in advance that I would be facing weather I’ve never seen before, I’ve prepared. I wrote notes and letters to myself for a time I knew I’d need them because I knew I wouldn’t listen to anyone but myself. Today I started going through them. Here’s one:
“When the unthinkable happens, remember Daniel. He was a child when taken into captivity in Babylon, you’re a grown woman. He was taken against his will into a place that had all the potential to break the spirit of even the most hardened warrior. He hadn’t made a choice to be in those circumstances anymore than you have chosen to be where you are. Daniel and his 3 friends had nothing, and their new masters wanted them to know they had nothing. That not even their own names belonged to them, so they changed their names.
Daniel – GOD IS MY JUDGE- became, Belteshazzar - Bel (Babylonian god) protect the king.
Hannaniah – THE LORD IS GRACIOUS- became, Shadrach – command of Aku (Babylonian god).
Mishael – WHO IS LIKE THE LORD- became, Meshach – who is what Aku is.
Azariah – THE LORD IS MY HELPER – became, Abed Nego – servant of Nego/ Nebo (Babylonian god).
Your name might be changed too. You might be called depressed, hopeless, useless, anything but what you are. It’s up to you if you’ll forget your name too.
The enemy is cunning. He stops at nothing when it comes to humiliating the one who trusts in God. He might burn down your house and drag you in chains into a new reality you’ll hate. He can turn a prince into a slave, he can brain wash one with all the Babylonian nonsense, he can tread over everything you hold sacred, and he will. He can try to feed you things that would defile you and he can even change your name, so that you’ll forget God is on your side and part of who you are. But REMEMBER Daniel. None of that mattered to him. He never called himself Belteshazzar. Others called him that. He refused to acknowledge Bel as part of his identity. He was always Daniel, so much so that when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, talks about him he has to acknowledge both his names, “At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god,”(Daniel 4:8). And again, “Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar…” (Daniel 4:19). Even though the enemy tried to blot out the Name of God from his identity by changing his name, even if they tried to call him with the name of an idol, Daniel remained Daniel. Not because he was seeking to impress anybody, but God was too embedded into his psyche. Nothing they could have tried would have changed that. And they tried it all. Daniel was Daniel. Resolutely. Stubbornly. Humbly. Daniel was Daniel.
When Belshazzar is king of Babylon and he calls for Daniel (Daniel 5:13), he doesn’t even bother with the fowl name, it never stuck anyway. When the Persians take over, king Darius doesn’t call him anything other than Daniel.
You might never return ‘home’ this side of heaven. Everything will be different from here on out. You’ll hate it. He’ll try his worse to hit you while at your weakest and you might be tempted to give in. When that happens, remember you have Christ in your name. You don’t need to start a rebellion in Babylon, just don’t let him take your name. The One who watched over Daniel in his captivity will watch over you.” - written on 26th of March, 2023
I really need to learn how to comfort in a gentler manner, sigh…
By Cristina Pop
