Building Courage for the Time of Crisis

Daniel, one of many young men taken into captivity, had been a public servant in Babylon for about sixty years when his enemies conspired to take him down. But Daniel did not become a man of integrity when he was cast into the lion’s den; he landed there already prepared.

King Darius organized his kingdom, and eventually Daniel rose to the top. Daniel had an excellent spirit and was faithful; no error or fault could be found in him. Jealousy sprang up among the others, and they went to work to discredit him, finally concluding that they would find no dirt on him unless they could trap him through his devotion to God.

That kind of record, that devotion, is not built in a day, but in a thousand days of being faithful in the minutiae.

When King Darius signed the decree that for thirty days no one could pray to any god or man save himself, Daniel went home, went to his upper room, and prayed three times that day at an open window facing Jerusalem “just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10)

Daniel did not rise to an occasion...he did what he always did. When the crisis came, he did not have to manufacture courage; it was already there. His personal habit became his public courage.

On this day, November 11, our nation pauses to honor its veterans. Daniel’s story speaks to this day more than we might think at first glance.

Faithfulness in the Ordinary

We are all acquainted with someone who has served our country in the military. If you asked them, they would likely tell you that the dramatic moments are rare, and that what came before those times carried them through when the big moments arrived.

Early morning repetitive drills. The bed made. The shoes shined. The equipment cleaned and checked. And rechecked. The days and months of tedious training. The discipline that was built for the moment when there was no time to think.

When what you had ground out day after day simply took over. And what about the things left behind so they could serve? The events that were missed? Holidays. Birthdays. First steps. And the people who were left behind? Parents. Spouses. Children. Families who kept the home running and hope alive. They also showed up, unseen, every day. Sacrifice was not a single act, but a consistent showing up and doing the next thing faithfully.

Preparing Today for Tomorrow's Trials

You’ve probably heard it said, “There are no atheists in a foxhole,” but Daniel’s story suggests it’s not that simple. So the uncomfortable question for us is: what will we do on the day the decree is signed? We cannot manufacture in a crisis what we have not built in the calm. If I have not been consistently praying, I will not be able to pray effectively when under pressure. If I have not stayed in the Word, Scripture will not be there when I need it. If I have grown careless in any number of areas, I will not be able to stand tall under fire. Crises rarely change us, but they do reveal us.

The good news is that the same idea works in our favor. Small, faithful habits compound; little things done daily become a foundation over time.

What might Daniel’s “upstairs room” look like to us? Maybe a cup of coffee and the Bible in the quiet of the morning. Maybe some Scripture read on your lunch break. Maybe kneeling by your child’s bed at night with a prayer of blessing. Whatever it is, be faithful with it on the good days and on the dull days.

This Veterans Day, thank a veteran for their steady, unglamorous discipline that has protected the rest of us, and allow their example to prompt a look at our own preparations. It’s never too late to begin.

Lord, help us to be faithful in the little things, so that we may be found faithful in the big ones. Teach us to build right habits now, so that when a crisis comes, we can do what we have always done: turn toward You. Bless those who have served and comfort their families who gave so much as well.