AI
Friday, September 05, 2014 6:11:23 AM
From the Pastor's Heart - September 2014
Dear Friend,
Obeying the Lord is not always easy, but it’s always the best option. As Christians, we hold certain beliefs that we consider true and worthy, but our culture doesn’t always share our convictions. Sometimes, though, we have to stand alone for what we believe. When we are following the Lord, we’re never really alone because He’s always with us. Each time we choose to obey Him, He strengthens us to stand firm and promises to bless us.
Growing up, I remember singing this song: “Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known.” God is looking for people like Daniel — followers of Christ who will stand for their godly convictions. By examining Daniel’s life, we’ll discover what made him unique and how we can follow in his footsteps.
First of all, Daniel knew what he believed and was prepared to stand for his convictions.
He was just a teenager when he was uprooted from his home in Judah and carried off to Babylon to be educated and trained in the Babylonian culture. Yet because he had made up his mind beforehand to live as a Hebrew, faithfully keeping the law of Moses, he was ready to stand for his convictions when the first test came.
Would he eat the food and drink the wine that came from the king’s table? This might not seem like a big issue to us, but this food had been offered to idols, and Daniel was determined not to defile himself:
"But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself." ~ Daniel 1:8
So he asked that he and his three friends be given vegetables and water. After a ten-day trial, the king’s official found that Daniel and his friends looked better than all the other young men. God blessed them for their obedience by giving them knowledge, wisdom, and understanding:
"As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams." ~ Daniel 1:17
Secondly, Daniel’s example shows us that God entrusts more responsibility to those who have proven themselves faithful in small matters:
"Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king." ~ Daniel 1:18-21
Sometimes we mistakenly limit our convictions to those that we consider important issues, but Jesus taught that those who are faithful in the little things will be faithful in much:
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." ~ Luke 16:10
When I was a teenager, I had a friend who wasn’t a believer. One day he told me, “Stanley, you used to be a pretty good guy until you starting running around with me.” Suddenly I realized that my small compromises had lessened my Christian influence on him. God taught me a valuable lesson that day — never underestimate the importance of obedience in small matters.
This brings up a third principle we can take away from Daniel’s life: his willingness to stand for a simple conviction became a stepping stone for the larger challenges that awaited him.
When King Nebuchadnezzar had an alarming dream, the Lord gave Daniel the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar was going to become insane and live like a wild animal for seven periods of time:
"Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.’ Belteshazzar replied, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged — it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,” this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’" ~ Daniel 4:19-27
Despite the danger of angering the king, Daniel obeyed the Lord and delivered the bad news. At another point in his life, he chose to face a den of lions rather than stop praying to his God:
"All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God." ~ Daniel 6:7-11
He could not be frightened into compromise because he was determined to remain faithful to the Lord.
Are there any areas in your life where you are tempted to yield to pressure? If holding on to your convictions resulted in losing your job or not passing a course, would you compromise? Godly character is an invaluable quality, worth far more than anything you could gain or lose by compromising your convictions. The Lord will handle all the consequences if you simply obey Him.
Finally, Daniel’s obedience opened doors of opportunity for him to become a tremendous influence in an ungodly culture. Although he was a foreigner who held firmly to his Hebrew beliefs, he was promoted to the highest places of authority by every king he served. Instead of persecuting him for speaking the truth, they raised him up. Because of his strong stand, the phrase, “the God of Daniel” echoed in the chambers of those pagan kingdoms:
"I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever." ~ Daniel 6:26
In the same way, Jesus has left us here in this world to influence those around us. When we stand on the principles of His Word, we leave a lasting impact on others. Although some may ridicule us, those with open hearts will be drawn to the Savior when they see our godly example.
What convictions guide your conduct? Which ones are not up for negotiation no matter what happens? Writing them down is a good way to solidify them in your mind so you will be ready when a challenging situation arises. Just remember that one strong, uncompromising, obedient child of God is a powerhouse of influence who, like Daniel, can impact the world.
Prayerfully yours,
Charles F. Stanley
P.S. My prayer is that you will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to shine like a light in a dark world as you stand up for your convictions whenever opportunities arise. The Lord has placed each of us in our homes, workplaces, and cities so we can influence those around us with our holy conduct and gracious words.
http://www.intouch.org/about/from-the-pastors-heart
Dear Friend,
Obeying the Lord is not always easy, but it’s always the best option. As Christians, we hold certain beliefs that we consider true and worthy, but our culture doesn’t always share our convictions. Sometimes, though, we have to stand alone for what we believe. When we are following the Lord, we’re never really alone because He’s always with us. Each time we choose to obey Him, He strengthens us to stand firm and promises to bless us.
Growing up, I remember singing this song: “Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known.” God is looking for people like Daniel — followers of Christ who will stand for their godly convictions. By examining Daniel’s life, we’ll discover what made him unique and how we can follow in his footsteps.
First of all, Daniel knew what he believed and was prepared to stand for his convictions.
He was just a teenager when he was uprooted from his home in Judah and carried off to Babylon to be educated and trained in the Babylonian culture. Yet because he had made up his mind beforehand to live as a Hebrew, faithfully keeping the law of Moses, he was ready to stand for his convictions when the first test came.
Would he eat the food and drink the wine that came from the king’s table? This might not seem like a big issue to us, but this food had been offered to idols, and Daniel was determined not to defile himself:
"But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself." ~ Daniel 1:8
So he asked that he and his three friends be given vegetables and water. After a ten-day trial, the king’s official found that Daniel and his friends looked better than all the other young men. God blessed them for their obedience by giving them knowledge, wisdom, and understanding:
"As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams." ~ Daniel 1:17
Secondly, Daniel’s example shows us that God entrusts more responsibility to those who have proven themselves faithful in small matters:
"Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king." ~ Daniel 1:18-21
Sometimes we mistakenly limit our convictions to those that we consider important issues, but Jesus taught that those who are faithful in the little things will be faithful in much:
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." ~ Luke 16:10
When I was a teenager, I had a friend who wasn’t a believer. One day he told me, “Stanley, you used to be a pretty good guy until you starting running around with me.” Suddenly I realized that my small compromises had lessened my Christian influence on him. God taught me a valuable lesson that day — never underestimate the importance of obedience in small matters.
This brings up a third principle we can take away from Daniel’s life: his willingness to stand for a simple conviction became a stepping stone for the larger challenges that awaited him.
When King Nebuchadnezzar had an alarming dream, the Lord gave Daniel the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar was going to become insane and live like a wild animal for seven periods of time:
"Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.’ Belteshazzar replied, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged — it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,” this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’" ~ Daniel 4:19-27
Despite the danger of angering the king, Daniel obeyed the Lord and delivered the bad news. At another point in his life, he chose to face a den of lions rather than stop praying to his God:
"All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God." ~ Daniel 6:7-11
He could not be frightened into compromise because he was determined to remain faithful to the Lord.
Are there any areas in your life where you are tempted to yield to pressure? If holding on to your convictions resulted in losing your job or not passing a course, would you compromise? Godly character is an invaluable quality, worth far more than anything you could gain or lose by compromising your convictions. The Lord will handle all the consequences if you simply obey Him.
Finally, Daniel’s obedience opened doors of opportunity for him to become a tremendous influence in an ungodly culture. Although he was a foreigner who held firmly to his Hebrew beliefs, he was promoted to the highest places of authority by every king he served. Instead of persecuting him for speaking the truth, they raised him up. Because of his strong stand, the phrase, “the God of Daniel” echoed in the chambers of those pagan kingdoms:
"I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever." ~ Daniel 6:26
In the same way, Jesus has left us here in this world to influence those around us. When we stand on the principles of His Word, we leave a lasting impact on others. Although some may ridicule us, those with open hearts will be drawn to the Savior when they see our godly example.
What convictions guide your conduct? Which ones are not up for negotiation no matter what happens? Writing them down is a good way to solidify them in your mind so you will be ready when a challenging situation arises. Just remember that one strong, uncompromising, obedient child of God is a powerhouse of influence who, like Daniel, can impact the world.
Prayerfully yours,
Charles F. Stanley
P.S. My prayer is that you will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to shine like a light in a dark world as you stand up for your convictions whenever opportunities arise. The Lord has placed each of us in our homes, workplaces, and cities so we can influence those around us with our holy conduct and gracious words.
http://www.intouch.org/about/from-the-pastors-heart
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