As we read chapters 7 and 8, we see the insight that Daniel is given into activities that will take place on the Earth - the setting up and tearing down of kings and kingdoms and we are told that Daniel was physically and emotionally effected by what he experienced.
This man of God, Daniel, who sought to honour and obey God at every opportunity, who prayed and fasted, searched the scriptures and heard from God - this man was sometimes overwhelmed and worried! Many of us probably question if we would go through what he did, this amazing man of faith. yet he still had emotions he found hard to handle. We can see this in these two verses;
As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my colour changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”
Daniel 7:28.
'I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.'
Daniel 8:27.
I do not know about you, but this gives me great hope and encouragement!
Like Daniel, I too wish to follow God, be obedient and seek to know God better, but I too feel sick, lose sleep, worry and feel overwhelmed and confused at times. Don't you?
These verses show me that it is ok to not be ok at times. It is ok to admit how you are really feeling - to yourself and others. Daniel was not afraid to admit it - he even documented it and thousands of years later we are reading it!
Daniel processed his emotions in different ways at different times, we see from 7:28 that Daniel did keep some things ‘in his heart’. He wasn’t quite sure what God was showing him, but he did write it down and take time to process it. Daniel needed to accept and acknowledge his emotional and physical reaction to what was going on - we need to do the same. It means taking time to reflect and consider our responses to what is happening in life and what God is showing us. Daniel kept the matter to himself, but he still dealt with it by thinking about it and writing it down. Some other ways to do this may be turning the TV off for a while to reflect, use commuting time to think through the events of the day and how you feel about it, ask yourself how you are before you ask anyone else. Personal reflection helps us to be in tune with ourselves and aids us in processing the emotions we do not like feeling and figuring out why we are having them, we can then work out what we need to do about it.
In the second of these verses Daniel seems to have been so overcome and unwell that he needed time off. Daniel did not deny how he felt, or try to keep on going, he realised that his emotions and body were effected by what was occurring in his life, he needed some rest and restoration time so he took it.. It is good to have a break, a change, a rest. Do not make excuses about it - it is healthy to acknowledge your emotional responses. When life is too much, when you are appalled, overwhelmed or shocked by what is happening, taking time to acknowledge and accept your emotional responses is a good thing to do. It benefitted Daniel, he had some time off then he was able to re-focus and return to work. It does not mean the problems were all resolved or that he was happy again, it just shows that he was able to reframe, reflect and begin to restore.
In order for Daniel to have been able to have break like he did in 8:27, he must have told someone about it - he worked for the king, so he couldn’t just disappear for a few days - he must have told someone that he was not ok and could not work. That is important too. When you are not emotionally and physically well, you can share your burdens with others. They will probably not be able to fix it or even help you feel better, but if you trust faith-filled family and friends with how you are doing, they can love, support and pray with you. We know that Daniel had trusted faith-filled friends in his life. They all relied on each other as they all faced significant trials. Daniel did not need to go through this alone, and nor do you.
What do you when you experience things that cause you to feel; sick, overcome, alarmed or appalled?
If you are going through a time in life that is causing you distress, what are you doing about your emotional and physical health?
You may need some personal reflection time, some time off or to reveal your heart with friends of faith. We cannot handle all of life’s trials ourselves, and it is no surprise that we feel overcome at times, the question is, what do you do about it, and where do you see God in it?
Difficult life events are not a demonstration of your lack of faith. Daniel certainly was not a man who lacked faith! Having an emotional or physical response to something simply shows that you are human. We often cannot change what is going on around us, but we can accept how we are responding to it and trust God in it as Daniel did.
