I'd like you to imagine with me, if you would, a young man, the age of 19.
!
Some resolutions for his life.
Some commitments that were going to shape not only the immediate future, but in his heart,
in his mind, these were the resolutions that were going to kind of go the distance for
him and kind of shape his future.
Not the kind of resolutions, perhaps, that we find ourselves making or that I find myself
making at times.
The kind of resolutions that maybe last the day or last the week.
No, this is a kind of resolution that for Jonathan Edwards was life-shaping.
He began to sit down with a pen at about age 19 in 1722.
And for the next year, he would write these personal commitments.
Commitments that were derived from the Scripture.
Commitments that would shape the way that he related to others, the way he related to God.
And help to undergird him and provide direction and focus for his future.
His goal was not to boast about his piety, but to keep his heart and mind focused on God's will.
Some examples of these resolutions.
Resolution number five is resolved.
Never to lose one moment of time, but improve in the most profitable way I can.
And of course, that deriving itself out of Ephesians chapter 5.
Walk circumspectly, not as a fool, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
And so these resolutions springing out of the Word of God and personalizing it and shaping the direction of his future.
Resolution number six, resolved to live with all my might while I do live.
Resolution number seven, resolved never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
Resolution 69, resolved always to do that which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it.
When I look around me and I see the life of those who are also pursuing God.
And I wish for that for myself.
I'm resolved to adopt that attitude, that posture, that heart for myself in the way I live as well.
And of course, these resolutions reveal Edwards' unwavering commitment to the Lord.
And were used to help him have a life that was set apart from the world around him.
And because of a distinctive life that was concentrated on the glory of God,
God honored Jonathan Edwards' commitment.
Despite the trials and the challenges that he faced.
It would be Jonathan Edwards who would be a key figure in the greatest revival of American history, the Great Awakening.
His legacy would also be one who would be considered a great thinker.
Who still influences pastors and professors and philosophers of this age.
He's considered to be a towering intellect and the greatest mind of American history.
Not just the greatest mind of American preaching, but the greatest mind of history in totality.
That's what God did through this man who is devoted and resolved in his heart to focus on the glory of God.
And to point his life in the direction of dignity and honor.
A life that wore the scripture.
This morning we're going to get a taste of that same kind of commitment.
This resolution as it were.
It stands out in the opening phrase of Daniel chapter 1 verse 8.
This opening phrase, if you're following along with me, I would encourage you to turn to Daniel.
If you're using the Pew Bible, it's on page 767.
Either 767 or 737.
I forget which.
Somewhere in the 700s you'll find it.
It says,
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank.
This is a remarkable statement considering where Daniel is.
Daniel now in Babylon.
We get a taste or a sense of the context right there at the beginning of Daniel in verse 1.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, it says,
King of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
Of course, the history of Judah up to this point.
And especially in the latter days, Jehoiakim being one of the final kings of Judah's history.
We find the commentary of his life.
Very brief commentary.
And it says that he was an evil man.
Following the pattern of and traditions of his fathers.
Jehoiakim led the people into pagan worship.
Jehoiakim, it says in 2 Chronicles,
participated in things that were considered an abomination to the Lord.
Jehoiakim followed after the pattern of the kings before him.
And so it's easy to assume that he also did the things that those heathen, wicked kings did.
In terms of pagan worship.
In terms of raising up the high places.
In desecrating the temple.
In sacrificing his own children in the altars to these foreign gods.
God had faithfully warned his people time and again through the testimony of his word.
Not only the written word that came through Moses and through David.
But also the spoken word through his prophets.
Prophet after prophet.
Generation after generation.
Came and went as a testimony to God's faithfulness.
To send his word.
And of course, God also had to be faithful to keep his word.
That word that God had given.
That if you rebel against me, I will send you into captivity.
And that is exactly what God would do.
We find in verse 2.
The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand.
So Nebuchadnezzar, on the surface, may have assumed that it was his power.
And the power of his Babylonian gods.
That was behind this conquering of Judah and Jerusalem.
And the bringing back of the captives to Babylon.
But God makes it very clear at the outset of this book.
God is the one who is writing his name across the events of history.
It is God who is the unseen force behind all that will unfold for us in this book of Daniel.
The Lord is the active agent in this narrative.
Make no mistake.
No empire, no king, no conquering takes place apart from his intervening power.
He is over it and through it and encircling it.
Last week, Nebuchadnezzar issued this command.
This command to draw from the captives of Judah and to raise them up.
To give them this unique opportunity to stand before him in his presence.
There are several features or characteristics that would need to be true about them.
We find from verses 3 and 4.
They are to be from the royal family.
They are to represent nobility.
They are to be from the court of Jerusalem.
They would be the ones who would be qualified to stand in the courts in Babylon.
They are to be young.
Probably around the age of 14 or 15.
And to work through this three-year education process.
So that by the time they are done.
By 17 or 18 or so.
They would now be able to stand before the king.
They were to be without blemish.
And I draw attention to this because this is going to weave itself in again throughout our passage this morning.
Without blemish.
Of good appearance.
These guys are striking.
These guys are solid.
These guys are the kinds of young men.
They walk into a room and every head turns.
They capture attention.
Yeah, that kind of guy.
Those who made it into this elite school represent the best of the best.
They are in the elite school of Babylon.
No doubt being trained by the brightest minds across the known world.
And this honor comes with special privileges.
Not only does Nebuchadnezzar issue this command to draw out this group of select individuals.
But he is also going to give them or assign them a portion of the king's food.
The delicacies that were fit for a king.
Made in the king's kitchen.
By the king's own chefs.
The best meat, produce, vegetables from the kingdom.
Literally, they are eating like kings.
They are also going to receive this education from this elite school of Babylon.
Which would have been the Harvard of Harvards as it were.
The brightest minds of the known world.
As Nebuchadnezzar is doing the same kind of thing for every other conquered nation.
Drawing from the smartest and best and wisest young men.
And raising them up in his kingdom.
An education process that would have taken about three years to complete.
But even then, it wasn't a guarantee that these recruits would be able to make it to the finish line.
And stand before the king.
Everything depended upon compliance.
Everything depended upon learning aptitude.
Everything depended upon maintained appearance.
Mental conditioning.
Broad categories of comprehension.
Problem solving.
Knowledge of laws and policy and language.
This was an opportunity of a lifetime they dare not jeopardize.
The pressure to conform.
To adapt.
To comply.
To fit in.
Would have loomed large over these young men.
And that's what leads us to our passage today.
With all of that external pressure.
What will Daniel and his friends do?
So as we turn our attention to Daniel chapter 1 verse 8.
We're going to see that God is continuing to write his name.
And his power across the landscape of our passage.
Last week we saw that God was faithful.
This week we're going to see consistently that God is able.
That God is able.
And here in verse 8 we're going to see that God is able to preserve his servants.
God is able to preserve his servants.
Just this opening phrase.
But Daniel resolved.
The king's command was given.
A selection was made.
Names were assigned.
Privileges were dispensed.
But Daniel resolved.
New culture.
New city.
New language.
New status.
New customs.
New clothing.
But same God.
And same commitment.
There's so much that can be said about this phrase.
What is Daniel doing?
By resolving.
He says to himself.
I will not be enticed by the opportunity.
I will not be influenced to compromise.
I will not renounce my convictions.
I will not bend the standard to fit my situation.
I will not flex because of the pressure.
I will trust that the God who faithfully led me to this place.
Faithfully preserved me from Judah into Babylon.
And provided this unique opportunity for me to stand in the presence of the king.
Is the same God who will lead me to the finish line.
I will remain committed to God.
After all.
The God I serve is the God who transcends culture.
He's not just the God that is located in Jerusalem.
He is the God who is overall.
He is the God who is transcendent.
He is the God of heaven.
He's overall.
And I will remain committed to that God.
I will not succumb to the pressures of Babylon.
And to believe the lies of my captors.
Who say that their gods are stronger than the God of heaven.
I will remain committed.
To the extent that I will not fit in for the sake of comfort.
And I will not compromise for the sake of position.
I will not see this opportunity to have this potential influence in the king's court.
As a means by which I will lay down certain convictions for the sake of having the greater good.
No, I will trust God from start to finish.
I will not compromise and he will get me through.
Because God is able.
But Daniel resolved.
Literally this phrase is he purposed in his heart.
And I think that's important for us to consider.
It's important for us to know that he purposed in his heart.
That is the literal rendition of this.
This is more than about a mental ascent.
This is more than just he made up his mind.
This is going to the deepest parts of who Daniel is.
It goes to his heart.
It goes to affection.
It goes to desire.
It is the desire that Daniel has that drives him to this commitment.
It drives him in true affection for God.
It drives him to true loyalty and to true worship.
It drives him to true fellowship with God because he understands that for him to defile himself,
he would sever this connection, this fellowship, this intimacy that he has with God.
And he would not have that.
Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank
because Daniel's affection for God led to a desire for fellowship with God.
It led to a craving for intimacy.
He would not jeopardize that by becoming unclean.
But in what way did Daniel think he would defile himself?
Well, there are at least a couple of ways in which the food that was offered to him through these delicacies
would have defiled him perhaps as a Judean.
First, many of the foods that were eaten at the Babylonian court were pork and horse flesh,
which would have been unclean ceremonially in the law of Moses.
They were also prepared without removing all of the blood.
And so that also would have been a defilement to Daniel and his friends.
But I think most importantly,
there was an understanding that the meat that was offered to these candidates
was also first offered to the gods.
And the wine that they drank was first poured out,
at least in part, to the gods of that nation.
And Daniel was not going to defile himself in that way.
It's remarkable considering that he was in Babylon because of idolatry of his nation.
This is where I want to draw out our point.
God is able to preserve his servants.
He was able to keep them.
Somehow, Daniel and his three friends were uniquely preserved
from the situation of idolatry that was taking place
and running rampant throughout Judah.
God preserves his people.
God uniquely sets them apart.
And so even this morning as you're looking around
and you are in a job situation or in a school situation
or even in your community,
you look around and wonder how many people are left
who truly love God the way I love God.
Be reminded of Elijah.
Elijah, who had a similar experience,
face to face with God and
criticizes God by saying,
only I am left!
In which God says,
no, no, Elijah.
I have kept 7,000 in Israel
who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
You can trust me because I am the God who preserves.
We find that in 1 Corinthians 10, 13.
Take comfort in the fact that God delights in preserving his people.
It says,
no temptation has overtaken you
that is not common to man.
God is faithful.
He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.
But with the temptation,
he will also provide the way of escape
that you may be able to endure it.
Or I should say,
so you may be able to remain pure and holy
as God has called you to be holy.
God is over that experience.
God is able to help through the power of his spirit
to preserve you from those temptations,
to draw you into purity,
to draw you into obedience.
God is able to preserve his servants.
And then the second half of verse 8 to verse 14,
we also find that God is able to provide for his servants.
Not just preserve them,
but provide for them.
Notice what we find.
Halfway through verse 8.
Therefore,
he asked the chief of the eunuchs
to allow him not to defile himself.
This is important for us to understand
because this becomes the key
that unlocks the rest of the book of Daniel
open to us.
To understand what was it that drove Daniel.
What is this that allows Daniel
to be lifted up and promoted
into the eyes of this kingdom of Babylon
and to be useful for God.
It was this commitment
that Daniel has to God's faithfulness
and also his commitment to God's power
that preserves him in this difficult situation.
Daniel asked to speak with,
to search,
to inquire and desire knowledge,
desire information.
Daniel did not make demands.
He did not simply decide
and cross his arms
and say,
I'm checking out.
Daniel didn't throw a fit.
Daniel didn't protest.
He didn't dismiss himself
from the selection process.
He didn't rebel against the authorities
that God had placed over him.
He complied to the extent
that he trusted in God
to help work through this difficult situation.
Daniel understood that God was in this.
And so he sought to honor God through this.
He recognized that as God was in this situation,
that God would use this uniquely
to accomplish his purposes,
which in fact is exactly what God did.
God was using this situation
to set Daniel and his friends apart,
to distinguish him and his friends
uniquely as being servants
of the only God,
the one true God.
Who would dare to jeopardize this opportunity?
Who would dare to put this all at risk?
Well, Daniel.
Because Daniel remained,
desired to remain holy to the Lord,
was ultimate for him.
And since he believed
that God had brought him to this moment,
he didn't want to jeopardize
the very working that God had him in store.
the way in which God was going to use
Daniel and his friends
to accomplish the purposes
that God had set
for Daniel and his friends.
God provided for Daniel.
But God honored Daniel
because of his commitment.
We see that here in verse 9.
Notice.
It says,
And God gave Daniel favor and compassion.
Daniel set his heart
to trust in God.
Daniel obviously prayed to God
and God answered
by showing him favor and compassion
in the sight of the chief of eunuchs.
Verse 10.
And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,
I fear my lord the king
who has signed your food and your drink.
For why should he see
that you are in worse condition
than the youths
who are of your own age?
So you would endanger my head with the king.
Then Daniel said to the steward
whom the chief of the eunuchs
had assigned over Daniel,
Hanani,
and Mishael,
and Azariah,
test your servants for 10 days.
Let us be given vegetables to eat
and water to drink.
Then let our appearance
and the appearance of these youths
who eat the king's food
be observed by you
and deal with your servant
according to what you see.
So he listened to them in this matter
and testified
or tested them for 10 days.
At the end of 10 days
it was seen that they were
better in appearance
and fatter in the flesh
than all the youths
who ate the king's food.
So the steward took away their food
and the wine which they were to drink
and gave them vegetables.
God worked to produce
the right response
in the chief eunuch.
There was every reason
for the chief eunuch to say
no,
absolutely not.
There is no way in the world
I'm going to entertain this request.
I'm not going to risk my life for this.
So Daniel proposes a test.
This is a way
to preserve the chief eunuch
and also a way
to preserve his own dignity
and purity.
And I want to just draw attention
to this briefly
because we're going to see
this repeated theme
as we make our way through
the book of Daniel.
Notice that Daniel cares
about his captor.
Daniel is interested
in the preservation
of this chief eunuch.
He does care about his head.
And we're going to see
the same thing in chapter 2
where Daniel even cares
about his competitors,
the other wise men,
the other sorcerers,
those who are caught up
in evil practices.
Daniel cares about people,
even his enemies.
That theme is written
across this book,
but it's tangential
to the theme
that I'm trying to draw out
at this point.
Daniel personally remains pure
to his convictions.
Test your servant
for 10 days, he says.
Give us vegetables to eat,
water to drink,
evaluate our appearance
after this is all done.
We've already seen
this word appearance
in chapter 1, verse 4.
We're going to see it
some more throughout
this passage
and as we move our way
into the next chapters.
It's the same word
that's used throughout
the Old Testament
to draw attention
to the uniqueness
of God's favor
on his people,
especially the patriarchs
and their wives.
Genesis chapter 12,
verse 11.
Abraham, speaking of his wife,
he says,
I know that you are
a woman beautiful
in appearance.
We find of Rachel,
Rachel was beautiful
in form,
in appearance.
And then in 1 Samuel,
chapter 17,
verse 42,
it says,
And when the Philistine
saw David,
he disdained him,
for he was but a youth,
ruddy and handsome
in appearance.
And then Genesis 39, 6.
I missed that one now.
Joseph was handsome
in form and appearance.
This way of God's
special favor
on his people.
And I just draw this out
because the correlation
is also true
of Christ in Isaiah 53, 2 and 3.
For he grew up before him
like a young plant
and like a root
out of dry ground,
he had no form
or majesty
that we should look at him
and no beauty
that we should desire him.
He was despised
and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief.
And as one
from whom men
hide their faces,
he was despised
and we esteemed him not.
Our Savior,
who could have been
the most striking
of every,
any person
who ever walked
the planet,
chose in humility
to lay himself low,
to be of no form
or comeliness
so the strength
would not be
in his winsomeness,
in his appearance,
but in the message
of the gospel
and the power
of the Spirit.
But here,
in Daniel,
God has allowed
Daniel and his friends
to be those
who stand out
from the crowd
because he knows
that man looks
on the outward appearance.
So God
had instrumentally
allowed Daniel
and his friends
to stand
head and shoulders
above the others
in the way they looked.
They were noticeable.
The chief eunuch
was not going to risk
this key component,
so he puts them
to the test.
And it's interesting,
we find here in verse 9,
God gave Daniel
what church?
His favor
and compassion.
This word favor
is the word hesed.
It's the word
that's used
throughout the Old Testament
to call attention
to the loyal,
covenant love
of God.
This is so important
because here they are
being disciplined.
Here they are
in captivity.
Here they are
being scourged
because of their sin
in Judah.
And here
they are
in Babylon
in God's hesed,
loyal,
covenant love
has not left them.
And he's placed
that love
and allowed
this chief steward
to demonstrate
that loyal love
in favor
in this situation.
They sense
his love.
They sense
his compassion.
The book of Daniel
continues to emphasize
God's unseen power
as the ultimate
source of the events
that we see
working on the surface.
We find that
in verse 14.
So he listened.
You get that?
He listened.
He didn't refuse.
He didn't turn
a deaf ear
because God
was working
behind the scenes.
The steward
granted Daniel's
request.
God
granted favor.
God
allowed
the matters
that seemed
to be out of hand
to work
exactly the way
that God
had designed them
to work.
So that now
when we turn
our attention
to verses 15
to 21
we also see
God's power
and his ability
now to promote
his servants.
God is able
to promote
his servants
not just
preserve them
but to promote
them.
We see this
at least three ways
here in our passage
today.
In verses
15 and 16
God promotes
them by giving
them health.
At the end
it says
in verse 15
of ten days
it was seen
that they were
better in appearance
and fatter in the flesh
than all the youths
who ate the king's food.
So the steward
took away their food
and the wine
that they were to drink
and gave them
vegetables.
Vegetables.
And they were
fatter in the flesh
after ten days.
You think that was
a miracle
perhaps?
This word vegetables
is a word
that denotes
those things
which grow
from sown seed.
It could have
included things
like fruits.
It could have
included things
like grains.
But most likely
it was just simply
vegetables.
Broccoli.
Beans.
Carrots.
Cauliflower.
Those kind of
really great foods
that you all
look forward to.
And I just think
about our own home.
I think about
the dips
and the ranch dressings
but eating all of that
without the delicacies
that we enjoy today.
A miracle.
Now I'm not a medical expert
but I just want to
rehearse
some statistics
or data for you
to just try to give you
some understanding
of what this
would have been like.
Okay?
So for a
11 to 15 year old boy
they need about
2800 calories
a day
just to maintain
their weight.
Now that's
18 calories
in a cup
of mixed vegetables.
That's about
23 cups
of vegetables
a day
just to maintain
your weight.
23 cups
which is about
4 pounds
of vegetables.
Now I don't know
if you've had
4 pounds
of vegetables
every day
for 10 days
it does something
to your digestive system.
That alone
is a miracle.
But then the fact
that they were better
and fatter
which is the word
that is used
in Genesis
to speak
of the cows
in the dream
of Pharaoh
who were plump
in comparison
with the thin
emaciated cows
of his dream.
A person
generally has to
gain about
10 pounds
in order
for their weight
to be recognizable.
Okay?
So we have
10 pounds
10 days
how much weight
per day
do they need to gain?
A pound.
You guys are
amazing.
Okay.
Now run with me.
A pound
or excuse me
gaining a pound
it's about
3200 more calories
on top of the 2800.
So more than
double
what you had
to have before.
So that's about
45 to 50
cups
of vegetables
more than
10 pounds
of vegetables
a day.
Let me tell you
they didn't eat
10 pounds
of vegetables
a day.
God was able
at the end
of this time
to allow them
to be better
and fatter.
They were tested
and they excelled.
God allowed
these boys
to flourish.
So the steward
honors the request
and the boys
remain pure
and undefiled
and he
gives them
veggies
and water
to eat
for the rest
of their time
for three years.
Now
he gives them
vegetables
and water
for breakfast
and lunch
and dinner
for three years
without ranch
without dip.
That alone
is a miracle.
table.
This was not
easy for them
to eat
beans
and broccoli
and carrots
and cucumbers
but then
consider
sitting
at the only
table
there in
Babylon
with your
peers
and the only
ones
who are not
eating
the filet mignon
and the baked
potatoes
and the chocolate
cake.
It would
have opened
them up
for criticism
and ridicule.
It would
have set
them apart
not only
from their
peers
but also
drawing
attention
to themselves
even by
the chief
stewards.
Now
their life
is a spectacle.
I want you
to understand
this was
not an easy
decision.
Now
their life
is an open
book.
They are living
in the spotlight.
Every decision,
every word,
every action
is under
the microscope.
This is not
an enviable
place to be.
If you've
ever been
in that
situation,
you do
whatever you
can to
duck your
head,
to run
for cover,
to be
anonymous,
but not
these boys.
They stood
for God.
How would
they fare?
Will they
survive
to the
finish line?
And of
course we
find from
verse 17
to 20,
that's exactly
what happens.
God gives
them health
but also God
gives them
learning.
He gives
them learning
notice.
As for
these four
youths,
God gave
them learning
and skill
in all
literature
and wisdom
and Daniel
had understanding
in all visions
and dreams.
At the end
of the time
when the king
had commanded
that they
should be
brought in,
the chief
of the eunuchs
brought them
in before
Nebuchadnezzar
and the king
spoke with him
and among
all of them
none
was found
like Daniel,
Hanani,
Mishael,
and Azariah,
just pause
for a moment.
One of the
primary conditions
about standing
before the king
had to do
with appearance.
These guys
were stunning.
These guys
were head
turners.
These guys
were striking
in every way
and God
did that.
But moving
on,
therefore,
they stood
before the king.
And in every
matter of wisdom
and understanding
about which the king
inquired them,
he found them
ten times better
than all the magicians
and the enchanters
that were in all
his kingdom.
And Daniel
was there
until the first
year of King Cyrus.
These boys,
around 14
or 15
when they started
this program,
now maybe 17
or 18
when they finish.
and they aren't
just the valedictorians
of their class.
No,
these guys
are smarter
than everyone
in the kingdom.
And not just
smarter,
they are ten times
smarter
than anyone
in the kingdom.
They make everyone
else look stupid.
God did that.
Another miracle.
Their commitment
to God
not only set them
apart from their peers
spiritually,
but God allowed
them
to stand apart
from everyone
else in the kingdom
as it related
to wisdom,
as it related
to understanding.
Certainly,
their ability
to solve riddles,
answer complex
questions,
apply logic
and reason
to sophisticated
issues.
They're not only
trained in philosophy,
in language,
in history,
but also
mathematics,
in astrology,
in engineering.
They find themselves
to be the complete
package.
They are the experts
in everything.
God did that.
No doubt,
their comprehension
of languages,
their ability
to write,
their recollection
of facts,
historical details,
names and dates
and battles,
whatever Nebuchadnezzar
wanted to ask them
and put them
on the spot,
perfect recall,
they had the answer.
They showed themselves
to be superior
in intellect.
And so they stood
before the king.
God did this.
God allowed them
to flourish.
God caused
them success.
God advanced
their cause,
affirmed their convictions
and granted them favor.
He established
his servants.
He promoted them
in the courts
of Babylon.
God did that.
And finally,
this final verse
in verse 21,
which we probably
read over
and just pass right through,
but it's significant.
God gave them longevity,
especially Daniel.
God gave Daniel
longevity.
And Daniel
was there
until the first year
of King Cyrus.
the staying power
of Daniel
bore testimony
to the staying power
of Daniel's God.
Nebuchadnezzar
would come
and go.
Babylon,
the empire,
would come
and go.
A new empire
would rise up.
Media Persia
and the first king
would come
and go.
But Daniel
remains present
because Daniel's God
is transcendent
over it all.
Media Persia
would
take power
in 539 BC,
60 years
after the original
captivity.
And Daniel
would remain
for another 10 years
in service
to the empire
of Persia.
Daniel remained
as a testimony
to the power
of God
over kings
and kingdoms
as the prophet Isaiah
says in Isaiah 40, 15.
Behold,
the nations
are like a drop
in the bucket
and are accounted
as dust
on the scales.
Behold,
he takes up
the coastlines
like fine dust.
That is Daniel's God
and that
is your God.
Your God
who is faithful.
Your God
who is able.
How do our lives
bear testimony,
bear witness,
preach the gospel
of our commitment
to a God
who is a God
over all,
faithful
and able
and powerful
and loving
and intimate
and desiring fellowship
that comes only
through his son
Jesus Christ,
his death
and resurrection.
Do you know him?
Have you bowed the knee?
Have you confessed
your sin?
Have you invited Jesus
to be the Lord
of your life?
And if you have,
does your life
demonstrate
a commitment,
a resolution
as it were?
Have you resolved
in your heart
as the inner parts
of your life,
the very core
of who you are,
show affection
for God
and confidence
in what only God
can do?
When people
look at your life
do they say,
their God
must be
the only true God.
may our lives
demonstrate
a commitment
to the God
of the word
and may
our lives
demonstrate
that we not only
love him
but we trust him,
his faithfulness,
his power,
his goodness.
Let's pray.
Lord,
thank you for this
story of Daniel
and especially,
Lord,
this isn't a story
of Daniel
and Shadrach,
Meshach,
and Abednego.
This is the story
of our God
who is over all.
A God
who is transcendent,
a God
of the nations
as it were.
And so,
Lord,
I pray that we
would demonstrate
in our own life
a commitment
to the God
who is over all,
the King of kings
and the Lord
of lords.
In whatever
situations we find
ourselves,
oh Lord,
I pray
that you would
help us
to remain
steady
and stable,
recognizing
that you are
over those
situations
and you have
a purpose
for them,
not only to
draw us
into greater
faith in you,
but also to
draw others
around us
into seeing
your faithfulness
and your power.
May we not
miss those
opportunities.
God,
give us courage.
Help us
to remain
steadfast.
May our life
demonstrate
not only a
commitment to you
and an affection
for you,
but may our lives
reflect worship
and devotion
day by day.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.