Winning for Losers

Daniel and his friends excelled in exile because they trusted in the God of losers: a God so committed to their flourishing in relationship with him that he was willing to oppose their nation when it strayed from him. In this way they foreshadowed Jesus, who endured suffering and death to give us new life. When God’s discipline placed them in a climate hostile to their faith, they chose the simple habit of eating to reinforce their confidence in him. Likewise, Christians today must prioritize simple disciplines that continually reorient our hearts to depend on him.