There Is Always Hope

“Jeremiah said that God has plans for us. Plans to give us a hope and a future.” — from DANIEL, Sight & Sound Theatres®

The Book of Daniel is epic and mysterious. Some people have studied it intensely for many years, while others may only know about the lion’s den. Wherever you are on that spectrum, you can be sure that a beautiful theme throughout the Book of Daniel is hope.

The story of Daniel begins when he and some of his peers (most likely members of his family) — Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — are taken from their home in Jerusalem and brought to the empire of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar has just conquered Assyria, and now he is demanding loyalty and service from the surrounding territories, including Judah. This group of young men was the best and the brightest. They were in the royal family and were most likely being trained to serve as counselors to the current King of Judah, King Jehoiakim. The artifacts and vessels of worship for the Lord were also taken from the Temple. Nebuchadnezzar was making a statement not only for himself but for his gods: Babylon rules the world now.

Leading up to Babylon’s invasion, the people of Israel had been increasingly rejecting the Lord. They were openly and actively worshipping other gods in violent and perverse ways. The call of the Hebrews was to represent God’s heart and laws to the other nations. This idolatry and disobedience not only separated God’s people from Him, it misrepresented the Lord to the world. For about 400 years, God sent prophets to remind His people of His word and warn them about the coming judgment. When the day of reckoning came, many of the Hebrews were killed or taken captive. The temple of the Lord was burned to the ground. In their devastation and grief, the word that the Lord gave to Jeremiah held a glimmer of promise: "‘For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’" (Jeremiah 29:11)

Even in the face of His people’s rebellion and Babylon’s invasion, God offers hope—a hope that defies our sins and circumstances.

Daniel’s temptation to despair must have been intense. He not only lost his home—he lost his name, his faith practices, his community, his occupation, and his dreams. How would you react in the face of such loss? While we don’t know for certain what he felt, we know what he chose: hope. He knew God’s word and God’s character. He knew His promises.

Remember, when it looks like evil has won, God holds the victory. He has a redemptive plan, and He always makes a way for salvation to come. Whether you’re living in the wake of your own mistakes or someone else’s, there is always hope available to you in the Lord.