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Daniel 6:1-17
Message No. 0596 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
The forces against God’s children are numerous. There are people and groups of people out there who want to silence us, remove us (out of the way) or kill us. They cannot stand our righteousness and holy living and they see us as obstacles to their own progress. They cannot measure up to our diligence and they know that they cannot do what they want as long as we are in the way. To say that they hate us is an understatement, and sometimes they even say it to our faces, just so we know how much they detest us and to harass us, peradventure we might give in or give up.
In Daniel chapter 6, Daniel was in this hated position when he proved to be so righteous that his boss, the king, noticed him, appointed him as one of the governors over the provincial administrators, and even planned to make the other governors report to him. In Daniel 6:3, the Bible says:
Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm
Well, how could a foreigner and a slave come to rule over us, the other governors, and provincial administrators (satraps, as the Bible calls them) thought to themselves. This was enough for them to conspire among themselves to get rid of Daniel, but they had a problem: Daniel was so diligent in his work that they knew it would be impossible to find fault in him, and if there were no faults, the king would not entertain any complaints against Daniel. So, they planned to use the only means they knew to get Daniel into trouble: enact a law or edict that clashes with the law of his God, and they were sure, without a doubt, that Daniel would choose God.
My first job after graduation was in a bank. Upon recruitment, we were thoroughly trained for one year, including classroom training and attachment to a branch for practical training. After the training, we were posted to branches. I was posted to a brand-new branch and unknown to me, the branch manager had enquired about the officers who were coming to work with him, so he already knew my diligence to work and decided I would head two departments and also be his deputy. I didn’t know any of these until I resumed. One of the officers was very furious, because he joined the bank before me and had worked in some branches. He was also a local (born in the city where the branch was located) so he already assumed that he would be the deputy manager. This guy harassed me to the bone, complained to the manager and questioned why I was the deputy manager. The manager also, in a separate incident, tested me by trying to make me do certain things that would put me on a collision course with God, and I refused, so he not only knew where I stood, but he also knew that he could depend on me to do the right thing, so he refused to listen to my accuser.
Here’s the big question: do people around us know that we would always choose God, notwithstanding the circumstances we may find ourselves in? Do they know that we can always be trusted to do the right thing? We live in a world where it is so unpopular to stand alone, for righteousness. The world constantly harasses God’s children that they make us feel ashamed to stand alone. They make us feel ashamed to mention the name of Christ in some places (including at work), and they intimidate us to stop preaching certain aspects of the Bible that (in their judgement) are not ‘inclusive enough’ in today’s societies. Are we ready to stand alone under these circumstances?
The governors and satraps in King Darius’ kingdom conspired against Daniel so they could throw him into the lion’s den and get him killed and out of the way, but our God, the Lord God Almighty, delivered him and made the lions (His own creatures) to become Daniel’s friends. God promises to stand with those who stand with Him. In Isaiah 43:2, God promised Israel, and us:
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
And in Psalm 23 verse 4, David boasted in the Lord as he said:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
It takes the knowledge of our God and a solid trust in His Word and Promises for us to stand alone when others have joined the opposing side. We will see even Christians, who have joined the other side, encouraging us to jettison our principles and trust in God and join them. At such times, we must choose between good and evil, between God and man. We will need to have an Anchor that is so strong that no storm or even a Tsunami can weaken it. We may need to get to the point where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego got to: we know that our God is able to, and will deliver us, but even if He chooses not to, we will still not bow down or give up.
Standing alone, for God, might be unpopular here on earth, especially in our societies today, but that is the most popular thing in the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 19:29, Jesus told His disciples that anyone who has left everything and followed Him will not only receive a hundredfold of what he or she left behind but will also inherit eternal life. Are you ready to stand alone?
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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