The Trials and Tribulations of Life Are Keys to Triumph

Daniel was a man who had ascended to the highest position in his country “because an excellent spirit was in him.” Presumably, Daniel was a man who was doing everything right before the Lord. He was a man of prayer and praise who wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak out for the Lord. Daniel 6:4 says, “…he was faithful” and “no error or fault” was found in him. Faithfulness, excellence and righteousness had brought Daniel to a position of authority and honor in the kingdom where he had once been brought in as a captive boy – and he was greatly blessed by God, but that didn’t mean he was problem free…

Being blessed doesn’t mean you have no problems. The trials and tribulations of life are to be expected: “Don’t be surprised!” Peter wrote. (1 Pet. 4:12) It’s a common misconception to think that being blessed means bad things won’t happen, but when trouble strikes, we wonder what we did to step out from under God’s blessing. Being blessed by God has absolutely nothing to do with what you’re walking through in life – if you’re walking with the Lord. You know that He causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and walk according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28) And because, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever,” (Psalm 136) you can be confident that God does not cause bad things to happen- that’s what Satan does! God uses bad things to bring benefit to you.

Praise Brings Triumph Amid Trials and Tribulations of Life

Being blessed is the uncanny, innate ability to succeed in spite of adversity – not a problem-free life!

Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” If you are not feeling particularly blessed right now because of the trials and tribulations of life, don’t operate by your feelings, operate in faith! Praising the Lord when things are hard is your faith in action, it’s proof of your firm belief that the Lord your Rock and Salvation and Strong Tower and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will work it all out! The blessing of God does not come with any troubles or sorrow, but life certainly does!

Being blessed does not mean being problem-free. Daniel is living proof of that. In spite of doing everything right, other leaders sought to take him down. In fact, it was because he was living rightly before God that he was tossed into a den of hungry lions. What did Daniel do? He went into his house, he knelt down before God and prayed “…as he had been doing previously“. In an instant, everything had changed around Daniel. His life was now under grave threat and he was well aware of it, yet within Daniel himself, nothing changed. He had a lifestyle of worship. Daniel 6:10 says he “gave thanks” before His God. That word “thanks” is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew word “yadah”, one of the seven Hebrew words for praise!

You are not problem-free – you are blessed! Don’t misunderstanding what it really means to be blessed, otherwise you’ll miss the blessing of being blessed! Here is a better way to think of being blessed: Being blessed is the uncanny, innate ability to succeed in spite of adversity.

Thought for today: Trials and Tribulations Will Always Be Around

The Psalmist wrote, “My enemy pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:13-14)

Daniel’s natural immediate response in trouble was to worship God. God certainly didn’t cause Daniel’s troubles and He didn’t withdraw His blessing on Daniel’s life because of trouble. Daniel was still blessed of God even in adversity, and the Lord brought him victory in a very difficult experience. But even though everything had changed, Daniel did not change. He remained faithful to God, he worshipped. Those were the things he had been doing before and that didn’t change. Daniel did not let his circumstances change who he was. A lifestyle of worship is reflected in how we respond to life. No matter what you’re going through, faithfulness to worship Him and to connect with Him through praise and worship, His Word and your prayer will change everything (Psalm 18:25).

More About the Trials and Tribulations in the Lives of Daniel, Shadrach. Meshach and Abednego:

• “Bow, Bend or Burn: The Problem”
• “Bow, Bend or Burn: The Pressure”
• “Bow, Bend or Burn: Perseverance”
• LIVE Devotional Teaching: “Facing the Fire”

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Way of the Worshipper on Amazon – and AVAILABLE NOW you can also purchase The Way of the Worshipper: A Devotional Workbook for deeper study, personal examination and spiritual growth!