Another Hard Thing, Lord?

Over the years, I’ve become a fair-weather fan. If it’s too hot or too cold, I’ll take a rain check, thank you. I much prefer the comfort of my couch where the thermostat is always set to my liking. In the grand scheme of things, skipping an event because the weather isn’t perfect is not that big of deal; however, I began to notice that this attitude was spilling over into other areas of my life. I began to wonder if I was getting “soft” as a result of my constant maneuvering to avoid all things that were uncomfortable to me?

The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became with my comfort seeking attitude. It became more and more apparent that this was a sure-fire way to miss out on the things God has planned for me to do; thus, I began a quest to do “hard” things. In other words, I said yes to things I normally would have declined, and it has been a good experience for me as I have depended on God, instead of myself, to accomplish the tasks.

I admit though that it has crossed my mind a time or two that I surely have met my quota of doing hard things for God. I can hear God saying now: “Well done, Lisa! You have earned a break.” However, much as I would like that to be true, nowhere in Scripture does it say that there is a quota of “hard” things for each of us. As if God were crunching the numbers on his cosmic computer before declaring: “Lisa has crossed the very last hard thing off her list. Jesus, please reassign her. She is now exempt from any further difficult situations.”

That sounds more like someone spouting a prosperity gospel, and as I sit staring at the flashing cursor on my computer screen, I hear again the words of Jesus, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33a) Jesus didn’t say we would have limited problems. He also didn’t say we would only have a small and manageable list of “hard” things to do. No, Jesus said there would be trouble.

In her book, Treasures in the Dark, Katherine Wolf wrote: “No matter the number of hard days you have behind you, not one of us is guaranteed an exemption from even harder days ahead.” As we have discussed before, Katherine has had more than her fair share of hard things to face in life. What makes her stand out though is her ability to also see the good things God has provided. Like the saints before her, Katherine recognizes the hope that she has in Jesus, and she hangs on to what he said next, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)

When you think about it, that is a startling statement. While our troubles may not be as great as Katherine’s, they are still troubles, nonetheless. Yet here is Jesus saying, “Don’t worry. Don’t be stressed. Instead, be at peace because I have won this victory for you.” This is an incredible promise; however, if you are a comfort loving creature like me, you too are looking for an exemption from trouble and time off for good behavior. I’ve grown weary just thinking about how many more hard things I will have to do in my life, and I find myself asking: “Lord, how do I do this well? How do I live a life worthy of my calling (Ephesians 4:1).”

As I wrestled with God over this topic, he reminded me of one of my favorite heroes of the Bible, Daniel. A man who was highly esteemed by God (Daniel 9:23), and always willing to do the hard thing.

We first meet Daniel at the beginning of the Babylonian captivity in 605 B.C. It was a difficult 500-mile trek from Jerusalem to Babylon, and when Daniel and his friends arrived in their new home, they were confronted with their first of many “hard” things they would have to do. Would they eat food that was forbidden by Jewish law (Daniel 1:5)?

Our young friends resolved not to defile themselves by eating food from the king’s table (Daniel 1:8), and this decision set the pattern for their lives. They were determined to honor God regardless of the cost.

Daniel would later interpret dreams, as well as mysterious writings on the wall even though he knew the answers could cost him his life (Daniel 2,4,5). He also was resolved to continue to pray, as he had always done before, because he knew who the one true God was, and he would not worship anyone else (Daniel 6). Daniel never wavered; from the beginning to the end, he remained faithful to God.

His life is an example of a faithful servant, but I wonder if Daniel could draw up a chair, if he wouldn’t point to the visions God chose to reveal to him as being harder than even the lions’ den. You see, God sent Daniel dreams that dramatically outlined future events, starting with Babylon and continuing to the end of the age to come. Things that were hard for Daniel to not only see, but also to understand: “I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” (Daniel 8:27)

Out of all people on earth, God chose Daniel to reveal his kingdom plans to and this wasn’t by accident. Daniel had set his mind to understand, and he humbled himself before the Lord (Daniel 10:12). Yet, as I think about Daniel, did he ever wonder, like me, if he had met his quota of “hard” things. Did he think that surely after all of this, God would reward him by sending him back to Jerusalem when the exiles began their long journey home?

Friends, God did reward him, but it was not with a bus ticket home. It was with another vision – an even greater vision then the ones he had seen before. Following three weeks of fasting and prayer, Daniel saw an awesome sight:

“I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.” (Daniel 10:5-6)

Who was this man? Scholars differ on their answer. He could have been an angel of the Lord or perhaps even Gabriel, who had already visited Daniel (Daniel 8:16; 9:21). However, some argue that it was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus, and I tend to agree with them. His description so resembles John’s in Revelation (1:12-16), as well as Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 1:25-28). Also, it would be just like our God to bestow a glorious gift like this on such a faithful servant – a vision of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! It reminds me of Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

In her Bible study on the book of Daniel, Beth Moore wrote, “A Daniel life – a life of doing the hard things, a life out there and exposed to God’s glory – is a life worth living, but it’s not a pain-free life. It’s not always a comfortable life, but it is life most alive. Life most abundant. The only life worth living.”

So, at the end of the day, God’s people will have to face hard things. Our lives won’t always be easy, nor will things be comfortable all of the time. Yet when we do the hard things for God’s glory and not our own, amazing things will happen.

Therefore, I’ve decided to ask God to keep adding hard things to my list.

Lord, your servant is waiting.

Amen, so be it!  Lisa

Discussion Questions

What hard things has God asked you to do? Did you say yes?

How does Daniel’s life inspire you to persevere in your faith, even when you feel overwhelmed or fearful?

Daniel’s life was shaped by prayer. Can the same be said of your life?