God Wants My Complete Trust

When I was a young boy, I can remember several times my dad would put me on an object that seemed high off the ground (like a well cover), and tell me to jump off and he would catch me.  The distance to the ground seemed far, but I always knew that the distance to my dad's arms would always be closer.  So I would jump, trusting in my dad's ability and willingness to catch me.  When we come to Daniel 6,  the prophet Daniel finds himself in another difficult situation.  In fact, we could say that unlike the other times, this situation is one of the most stressful Daniel will encounter.  It seems that some jealous co-workers were setting Daniel up for destruction by targeting his faith in God.  If Daniel is convicted, he will lose his job, his position, his possessions, and his life.  Daniel has a major decision to make:  "Will he continue to live out his faith in public or keep it to himself in private?"  Or another way of saying describing his situation is, "Will he trust God with his life or will he take matters in his own hands to preserve his life?"

The first situation that proved Daniel completely trusted in God was the fact that when Daniel was attacked, he did not retaliate but rather continued to trust God with the situation.  His faith was under assault (6:1-5), but Daniel knew that the Author of his faith was stronger than any threat thrown his way.  Daniel was called a righteous man (Ez. 14:14), because his faith was not shaken by the wind, but rather kept anchored to the Rock of Ages, Christ Jesus.  Too many Christians have a wishy-washy faith.  Daniel's reaction to persecution teaches us a precious truth found in Matthew 5:11-12, that when our character and faith are attacked by the world, that attack does not give us permission to stop trusting or serving God.  Just like the three Hebrew friends of Daniel, with his silence he was preaching the following sermon, "My God is able to deliver me, but He he chooses not to, I will not stop praying and seeking His face."  If you and I have this type of confidence and trust in Christ Jesus, then we will have a less stressed life.  Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.        

God Alone is Worthy of All Glory (Part 2)

As we continue to look at Daniel chapter 5 and king Belshazzar's prideful attitude toward Jehovah God, I want to share a little more on one of the points I made last time that contribute significantly to man's stress and worry levels, and that point is "living life by our own set of rules".  Daniel represents the man who honors God through obedience and faith.  Belshazzar represents the man who thinks he knows better than God, and that he can make his own rules to live by.  The mindset represented by the second man may be received better by our sinful and selfish ears; and it might work some what for a while, but you can rest assured that every time man has decided to play and run his life by his own rules, the end result for that man is trouble and great distress.

Notice three key rules that men are tempted by Satan to make for themselves.  These three rules were offered by Satan to Jesus during Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).  First, that money and power will buy happiness (7:16-17).  How much more stress is brought into one's life the more money, power, and influence they have?  The second rule/lie is that God's discipline and judgment does not apply to me (7:20-23).  When we live our life as if we don't have to live by God's Word, then we are setting ourselves for a great collapse.  And the third rule/lie spurred on by Satan is to get us to believe that we are number one (7:23), and that no one else matters.  We live in a culture that glorifies the lifting high into the air the first finger beside our thumbs.  Our sinful nature is bent toward self-exaltation.  If you and I buy into any one of these three lies, then we then set ourselves against God's will for our lives, and rob Him of the glory He deserves.  And usually a thief has more stress in their life than peace.  Until next time, keep walking close with Christ.        

God Alone is Worthy of All Glory

When Daniel chapter 6 opens, the great king Nebuchadnezzar has been dead for over twenty years and the kingdom of Babylon is on a downward spiral.  The king on the throne is Belshazzar, who cares more about drinking, eating, and immorality than helping his own people.  Even while his city is surrounded by the Meade and Persian army, king Belshazzar decides to continue his feasting and to live his life as if God never existed.  The Bible calls that state of mind as foolish (Psalms 14:1).  Ancient records detailing the overthrow of Babylon, state the following about the king, "The Persians killed the Babylonian king, a riotous, indulgent, cruel, and godless young man."  He is so prideful that he even defies his own grandfather's decree (3:29), and defiles the holy vessels from the temple of Jerusalem; an act of putting oneself above the God who those vessel's represents.  

As Belshazzar partied like a fool, he was living out five of the greatest lies Satan is sows among his people.  First, live as if you have no enemy.  Second, live as if there are many gods.  Third, live as if you have all the answers.  Fourth, live by your own set of rules.  Fifth, live as if you will live forever.  All five lies glorify and stroke our egos, while robbing God of His glory, the glory He has created each person to give Him (Rev. 4:11).  All humans live with the responsibility that no matter the experiences of life, we are to point people to the one and only true God.  If we are not pointing people to God, then it is safe to say we are pointing people to ourselves.  When we live our lives without the overwhelming desire to do all for God's glory, then we will find ourselves living foolishly.  Then by living foolishly, we can assure ourselves of a life filled with much needless stress.  Until next time, in all you do, keep pointing people to God.  

God Alone is the Ruler of This World

I believe the musical group Tears for Fears sung a song that boldly stated, "Everybody wants to rule the world".  In the heart of every human lies a desire to be the best, to rule over something or someone.  We see this desire manifest itself when Satan rebelled in heaven, wanting to be above God.  When Satan failed at his revolt, he planted the same idea in the mind of Eve, suggesting to her that she could be like God if she would make her own choices.  Someone has said that when we chooses to deny God's complete sovereignty in this world, then we are making ourselves sovereign.  It is no different for king Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 4.  This chapter opens up during Nebuchadnezzar's golden years of ruling over most of the world.  Even though there has been clear events in his life, proving that there is only one true and living God, Nebuchadnezzar cannot but help stroke his ego again, by giving himself all the praise for his kingdom rather than praising Jehovah God.  The wages of his god-complex is a reduction in mental capacity.  He becomes like a beast in the field.

Some time passes, and God has mercy on Nebuchadnezzar, and allows this animal-like king to regain his mind, and when he does, he breaks out into worship (4:34-37).  Just like the prodigal son who came to his senses, so too does Nebuchadnezzar, and rightly confesses his position before God.  He declares his weakness.  He declares God's sovereignty.  He acknowledges man's lowly position before God; and he confesses that God is both true and righteous.  Even after seeing what God did in the fierily furnace, Nebuchadnezzar was still guilty of placing himself above God.  If you and I are not careful, we may witness many of God's great miracles and His acts of mercy throughout our lives, and yet this does not immune us from being tempted to think we are our own boss, and give little thought to God's role in our lives.  When we keep a humble heart before God, and let Him rule completely in our lives, we can rest knowing that our lives will be less stressful than those who seek to be their own god.  Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.