It's been a while guys...and God's been moving in my life all the while!
I have been searching myself, searching in Him and as He has me secluded in Him - I'm growing.
As I was work today, I opened up my book "Every Woman's Battle" to read a little more of it. As I was reading, I was directed to a scripture in it that I wanted to read more closely, so I open my bible app on my phone. When I open the app, I see my "scripture of the day" and I after I read it, I notice my bible app is stuck on Daniel 6. I was gonna skip right on pass it but my eyes got caught in the words and I felt God saying, "THIS is your message for YOU today."
So here goes...
I don't know how many know about Daniel - specifically Daniel 6. It's the famous "Daniel in the Lion's Den" story of a man thrown to the lions for praising God, who came out the next morning totally unscathed, untouched by these lions. For God had SHUT the lion's mouth in protective measure toward Daniel. It's a miracle of a tale! Knocks your socks off, don't it!
BUT...for some reason this time when I actually read the story for myself (instead of relying on what's become a folktale of the story passed down from pastor to preacher to parent), I began to see that the lion wasn't the only creature whose mouth was wide shut. . .
Ever been in a position where you've felt or been betrayed by those you considered your equals? Superiors? Maybe even inferiors? Have you ever felt persecuted for doing what's right? Have you ever felt victimized by someone else's ignorance and/or cruelty? Have you ever known people who were either outright set out to get you, or just too caught up in themselves to stop others from getting to you???
If you're anything like me, the answer to all of those questions would be a big, huge YES!
Now, since you know you've felt this way and encountered these people, tell me, How did you respond when these things were being done to you and you were being caught up in these situations?? Did you go down kicking and screaming? Did you let it be known who was right and who was wrong?? Did you "LET THEM HAVE IT?" OR...did you take it sitting down? Did you bow out ashamedly? Did you try with everything in you to escape the situation; run from it - move away, change schools, change circles, change churches??
Sounding familiar??? I knew it does to me because I've reacted in nearly ALL these ways to ALL these situations. It's human nature to want to fight for your rights, or flee to the hills! Don't beat yourself up too bad for having done it!
BUT...there's another way, and we find the PERFECT example of this way in the example of Daniel.
Daniel was elevated to a place of leadership among the natural kingdom he lived in, even as a Christian. He found this favor with the King and his cohorts were totally fine with it...as long as he remained equal to them. Because the King favored Daniel, he had begun to give serious though to setting Daniel over all of them (v.3). The governors and other leaders were having none of that so they set out to find some type of fault in Daniel.
What sticks out here is that in their search to find fault in Daniel, they found none. When the scriptures reference Daniel they say "this Daniel" (my Pastor pointed this out to me). "This Daniel" means a new Daniel, the current one, not a Daniel from the past.
This says two things:
1. People can recognize and differentiate the past from the present.
2. Daniel must have left things in his past IN THE PAST for them to have found zero fault in this new Daniel.
*How many times have we gotten a little - or very - down and resorted to past things we had prayed and prayed to God to deliver us from but now looked to in search of some comfort?* Sure we could rationalize and say, things happen, we fall. Just understand who is there to see you fall and the consequences that will stem from parlaying in that excuse.
*If we're still holding on to the past - or reaching back to it - the past now becomes the present...and fault is found.
Remember this: People can say whatever they want and it have no heavenly effect, as long as what they say has no truth to it.
Continuing: Thought the people got the King to sign a decree that would help them "find fault" in Daniel (aka they made up a nothing rule), the King still tried to keep Daniel from the Lion's Den. Why???
1. I believe it's because Daniel respected the King's natural position
and did his job well.
2. Daniel was doing nothing out of character when he was found
"breaking the King's new statute". Prayer, praise and offering was a
habit for Daniel since early childhood (v.10)
That means:
1. Daniel didn't make it a mission to create a huge show of
opposition/praising God when the decree was sealed.
2. Nor did he make it a mission to "play along," "conform," say "When
in Rome," or purposely hide his praise.
Daniel simply went on doing what he'd been doing for God. No show necessary. His praise was already a habit. No need to stage a performance JUST to make the locals mad.
THAT my dear friends, is HANDING IT OVER TO GOD! Not putting up a big fuss, nor running and hiding.
Even when he was actually put in the lion's den, there is no mention of him going off on the King - or the people who caused him to go there.
I believe it is because Daniel remained calm that the King was tormented so over the whole situation.
THERE IS POWER IN SILENCE!
Silent Resistence
Silent Obedience
Silent Confidence
The King FASTED.
The situation obviously forced even the King himself into submission to God when previously he boasted enoughin himself to have signed a decree banning worship, save worship of himself!
LASTLY...
Daniel came out peacefully and respectfully, STILL giving the honor that's due to the King of the land after he had praised God while in the den!
Can you believe that?? Can you see yourself saying "O King, live forever" to a man who had you thrown in as a sack of meat to some hungry lions?!?! I don't see it!
And the reason why we can't imagine it and see it, but Daniel could...is because he was seeing through SPIRITUAL EYES!
THAT'S WHAT I CALL FAITH! WE CAN ONLY WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT, IF WE SET OUR SIGHT ON THE SPIRIT OF GOD!
Now folks, I am nont all the way there yet. But, my eyes have been opened to see that it is okay to be silent. It's okay, I don't have to scream "WRONG DONE" every time someone does something to hurt me or undercut me - whether intentional or not. I don't have to head for the hills literally when things look tough. I can stand my ground in a peaceful, silent, yet shaking way.
And you can too.
I've been praying this prayer for weeks now and I have pasted it below and invite you to also chant this prayer - The Prayer of Serenity (in its entirely, written by Reinhold Niebur)
Amen.
"Peace, I Leave With You. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27 NKJV)
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