From: November 25, 2023
“He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:18 NLT).
When Daniel heard of King Nebuchadnezzer’s intent to execute all of Babylon’s wisemen for being unable to recount and interpret his dream, he asked the king for a time extension. That night, Daniel got with his three friends and fellow exiles, Shadrach, Meshach, and a Abednego, and urged them to join him in a prayer vigil, asking for God’s help.
There’s nothing like the threat of death to focus one’s prayer life. Just ask anyone who has spent the night next to a loved one’s hospital bed or hunkered down in a fox hole. When one’s life is at stake and eternity is at hand, even the most materialistic among us tend to lift their eyes heavenward.
That’s what Daniel and his friends did. They prayed to the “God of heaven,” asking Him to mercifully reveal to them the dream and its interpretation. The divine title, “God of heaven,” is only in the Bible 23 times. It is in the Old Testament 21 times, occurring primarily in those books where the Jews were interacting with men of other religions, stressing that their God was no mere tribal deity, but the true God who ruled over all creation from His throne in heaven. The title appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in the book of Revelation, and again to show God as the one true God over all creation.
That very night, as the Hebrew exiles prayed, the God of heaven did just as they asked. He revealed both the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, who went early the next morning to reveal it to king Nebuchadnezzer. The wisemen were saved, Nebuchadnezzer was appeased, Daniel’s position in Babylon was secured and the God of heaven received the glory due Him.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are Your children because of our adoption through faith in Jesus, Your Son. Yet, we know that sometimes You call us to face troubling times, in order that those around us might look up and recognize You as God. We too are like exiles in Babylon, yet we are confident that You are King over all. You are the God of Heaven and You have given all authority in heaven and earth to Your Son, who has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. So we boldly ask for more of Your Spirit and Your power to do that which You have commanded. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: November 25, 2022
ARE YOU ALWAYS READY TO TALK ABOUT JESUS?
The apostle Peter wrote to encourage those who were being persecuted not to fear nor worry about those who threatened them. Instead of giving into fear and worry, they were to worship Christ as Lord in all areas of their lives and to always be ready to talk about their hope in Christ to others.
Worshiping Christ as Lord has the sense of setting Him above all other concerns and loves. It means to revere Him above all others. Thus revering Him, we will have no fear of man.
Having set apart Christ in our hearts, we are always to be ready to offer an explanation for the hope we have in Him. The Greek word is “apologia,” which has the sense of defending or giving a reason for a position or belief. Instead of worrying about persecution or rejection, we are to be ready to give a reasonable explanation of our hope in Christ to everyone who asks.
However, the attitude of our explanation is not to be prideful or disrespectful. No, we are to offer our answer in a gentle and respectful way. Our answer is not meant as a self-defense, but a defense of the gospel. We are not to attack the questioner, but to humbly reason with them, that they might be convinced to believe.
Are you always ready to give a reason for the hope you have in Christ? This readiness begins in the heart. We talk about what is most dear to our hearts.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we set apart Christ as Lord of our hearts today. We set our affections and desire on pleasing Him above all others. We fear His displeasure more than we fear the rejection or persecution of man. Father, help us to keep our hearts and minds set on Jesus, so that we are always ready to answer those who ask about the hope we have in Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: November 25, 2016
Daniel, along with several other young Hebrew youths (probably young teens) was taken captive by the Babylonians to serve King Nebuchadnezzar. His story is a study in how to live as a believer exiled in a foreign land. God gave Daniel great wisdom and success, as he served under many kings and even kept his post after Babylon fell to the Persians. He served under several Babylonian kings beginning with Nebuchadnezzer and ending with Belshazzar, who was king at the time of the fall of Babylon to Persia (Daniel 5:29-31). He then continued under Darius the Mede and finally under Cyrus of Persia (Daniel 6:28). His service seems to have occupied around seventy years. Regardless of the king or kingdom of man, Daniel served God and the Lord gave him wisdom on how to live in this world, but not of it.
From: November 25, 2015
Daniel knew what it was like to live out his faith within a foreign culture. Even though he was carried off from his Jewish homeland as an exile to Babylon, God blessed him with the wisdom to live in Babylon without becoming a Babylonian. His life is a study in how a believer might live in today’s secular culture. As Christians in America, we live in an ever increasing secular society. It is no longer united by a common Judeo-Christian worldview. Yet, we can learn from Daniel how to navigate our culture with godly grace and wisdom.
From: November 25, 2014
Do you seek to be of “one mind,” unified with your fellow believers? Or do you constantly need to “speak your mind,” letting others know what displeases you? Seeking to be of one mind does not mean that you have no opinion, but it does mean that you seek to understand the other with an attitude of sympathy, love, tenderheartedness, and humility. This attitude leads to oneness for it actually cares about unity in the body and mutual understanding. Living together in this way will not eliminate conflict, but it will lead to handling conflict rightly, so that unity is increased, rather than broken. What is your goal? Is it to have your own way? Or is it to keep the family of believers unified in following Jesus?