From Daniel
1, 2, and 6 (NIV) The king assigned them a daily amount
of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three
years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. But Daniel resolved not to defile
himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for
permission not to defile himself this way … In the second year of his reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned
the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had
dreamed. What the
king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods,
and they do not live among humans.” So
the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look
for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. Then Daniel returned to his house and
explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the
God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be
executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon … The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and
governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the
decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty
days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had
been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened
toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving
thanks to his God, just as he had done before. So
the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’
den … My God sent his angel,
and he shut the mouths of the lions. …
and when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he
had trusted in his God.
How do we know when to compromise and when to say
no? God gives us the freedom and responsibility to make the decision and gives
help in showing us where to draw the line. What do you hear and see as Daniel
deals with the pressure to compromise his convictions? Daniel resolved, made up
his mind literally and took it to heart. When it came to food he drew the line,
believing the food would defile his soul. He took seriously a truth that could
have been easily dismissed in the pressure of the moment. He took seriously
that the health of his soul was more important than anything that the king
could offer him.
What do you do when unreasonable, impossible
demands are made upon you? Look what Daniel did. Daniel turned to God and to
his friends. He told his friends to pray to the God of heaven. He needed human
help to hear and receive God’s help. Do we link those two sources of help
together when the pressure is on?
And what about being thrown to the lions? The good
news of Daniel is that he survived. The lions did not harm him. God sent his
angels to shut the mouths of the lions. The message is simple. Daniel had not
been hurt at all because he trusted God. Trust is openness toward God, a
willingness to accept what He gives and basic confidence in God that He can
shut the mouths of lions.
Daniel is an example of someone who worked heartily,
serving the Lord. God was faithful, and Daniel was faithful, but faithfulness
is no guarantee of what our world calls success. Faithfulness is never futile
and gives a fulfillment to the soul that the world cannot give.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope
September 18, 1994
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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