Christians with Courage and Faith

In our study of the book of Daniel, two themes resound again and again—God’s faithfulness and the courage of Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. The phrase “God is faithful” can sometimes slip into cliché in our thinking, rather than standing as the unshakable conviction it truly is. Yet Scripture is filled with declarations of His faithfulness—from Deuteronomy 7:9, where He is “the faithful God, who keeps His covenant,” to 2 Timothy 2:13, which assures us that “He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” From the garden of Eden to the promised return of Christ, history testifies that God never fails to keep His promises or care for His people—even when we don’t feel it.

The Israelites in Daniel’s day were in captivity, under God’s discipline for their idolatry, and yet He remained faithful to them. Whatever you may be facing today, you can rest in this same truth: “The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thessalonians. 3:3).

But alongside faith, courage is required as we live in a fallen world that suppresses God’s truth. Consider Daniel refusing the king’s food, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow to the image. Today, there is a growing idea that Christian love means never offending anyone and always affirming everyone—that if you truly love someone, you’ll approve of their choices and behaviors. To do otherwise, the culture insists, is to be “judgmental” or “unloving.” But that sentiment is false.

Jesus often offended people with His words and actions, and the apostles were killed because their message disrupted the world around them. True love does not affirm sin—it tells the truth, even when that truth is costly. And our message is both motivated and validated by the love we express for those who reject our message. Augustine said, “The greatest kindness one can render to any man is leading him to truth.” Conversely, the most un-loving thing one can do, for whatever reason, is to withhold the truth of God’s Word, which brings people to repentance and faith.

My prayer for each of us is that, anchored in God’s unchanging faithfulness, we will live with the same kind of courage—boldly proclaiming the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to our families, our friends, and our communities.