Bulk Up like Bears

6 It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.” Daniel 6:1-5

A bear eats a lot before settling down to sleep for the winter. It will eat all day and night to bulk up. How does a bear test itself to see if it has packed on enough padding? It will climb a high tree and jump. If the fall hurts, they eat more. They bulk up until the fall stops hurting. God gives us many chances to “fall” and test ourselves. He gives us hardships. We confront events that fill us with fear, anger, worry, uncertainty, anguish, and pain. We face adversities because God wants us to “bulk up.” God does not want us to simply overcome calamity and hardships. He wants us to be impervious to them. God wants us to be battle-tested bears, bulked up enough to withstand any fall!

Whatever situation Daniel encountered, he was a padded bear, impenetrable and unaffected by his surroundings. The entire kingdom conspired to kill Daniel. They could not find any ground of accusation unless it regarded breaking God’s law. The king pleaded with him to comply because he loved and cared for Daniel. The Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh wrote about his uncle, who served as a high-level government official. When Sundar Singh converted to Christianity, his uncle got on his knees and begged him to convert back to Buddhism. Sundar Singh confessed turning down the pleas of a loved one, turning away someone who believed they were acting in good faith, was harder than laying down his life in the face of the enemy.

Despite the king’s pleas, Daniel did not agonize or fret. When the kingdom conspired to kill him, he did not feel afraid or lonely. When they tossed him into the lion’s den, he was not terrified or stunned. How was this possible? He bulked up in ordinary times by keeping His faith. We must cherish uneventful moments and unremarkable times by energizing our faith so that when we meet extraordinary times and unforeseen hardships, we are fearless and unmoved. The faith we build up (or fail to build up) determines how we fare in the face of adversity.

Look only to Jehovah!

Lean on Jehovah!

Obey only Jehovah!

Like bears, we must be willing to test ourselves. We must look forward to trials and distress because it gives us a chance to gauge our faith. If we crumble in fear, anguish, and hatred, we are not ready to hibernate. Eat more and bulk up! At some point, you will transcend fear, pain, loneliness, and all types of distress. You will be like Daniel who did not blink an eye in the face of danger!

Summary