But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Dan 1:8 (NKJV)
If there was one word that I would use to describe Daniel, it would be the word, "Integrity." He was a young man--captured by the enemies of his people--taken to serve in a foreign country--a place far from home and family. His very survival was dependent on his ability to perform and the whim of a temperamental ruler. His first test arrived when his abductors demanded that he eat types of food and drink that would have violated his religion.
To refuse the food and drink of the King could very easily have ended Daniel's life. Despite the threat Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. A bold and courageous decision. The King's steward exempted Daniel and his friends from eating and drinking the King's food. In the end, God intervened and Daniel and his friends looked better fed that their "King-fed" counterparts.
What is surprising about this story is not God's miraculous intervention, rather, it is the integrity of a young man who was willing to risk it all for what he believed to be right. Not compromising one's standards in the face of peer and cultural pressure takes a courageous heart. Daring to be different than the crowd and to deny the urge to be accepted by fitting in is rare. But, Daniel is proof that it can be done!
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, You know that I like other people's approval; however, I know that living a life that is pleasing to You is my top priority. I am also convinced that following after You is far wiser that following after the crowd. Please help me to have the strength and the fortitude to make the right choices and to live for You regardless of what other people do. I want my life to be pleasing unto You!" Amen
Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Gal 6:9b-10 (NKJV)
"Do good to all..." I think that these four simple words give Believers a mandate that is easily understood and much more difficult to live. As far as I can tell the statement stands unqualified. That is to say that the word "everyone" must include everyone and does not exclude anyone. What this means is that we can not afford to selectively exclude people that we either don't like or don't know.
This gives us more than permission to be nice to other people; it gives us a mandate to lavish other people with love, acts of kindness, words of encouragement, and...even cookies. Imagine how effective and authentic is the sharing of our faith, when it lands in the rich soil of another person's heart that you have blessed with your goodness.
If you want an evangelistic tool that helps you bring in the harvest--this is it. I am sure that someone will think that this is being disingenuous. Well, they would be correct if our goodness was only reserved for people that we were trying to influence for Christ. But, please note the following: "We are to do good to all!" This indeed makes us more effective when we share our faith--but, it is a lifestyle of kindness that is extended to everyone.
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, Blessed be Your name. Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in earth, in my life, in my home, in my church, as it is in heaven. Lord, help me to see other people through Your eyes of love. And help me to receive people with love and acts of kindness rather than with my shallow self-righteousness attitude. May I treat others with the love that You received me with. Thank you for the opportunity to share Your goodness with people who are living in this difficult and sometimes, cold world." Amen
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13:4-8 (NKJV)
Trust me--I still remember the first time I kissed Jody. My blood pressure soared and there was a strong emotional feeling of euphoria...goodness, I thought my lips were going to melt right off my face! What I felt was probably infatuation. It was a good feeling, but not real love. Love came later...probably kicked in about the same time infatuation ran out.
The Apostle Paul describes real love in 1 Corinthians, the 13th chapter. The "love" that Paul describes seems to have more in common with integrity than it does with emotions. Let me point out the difference. If we follow our emotions we will always do what we "feel" like doing. If we allow integrity to guide us, we will do what we believe to be right and good. According to Paul, "real love" is expressed as a high level of personal integrity, to the point that love never fails.
Now contrast the "real love" that never fails to my young man's "infatuation" that lasted a mere few weeks. The shelf-life of my infatuation was very short, but God's love never fails. We are secure in God's love, because, unlike humanity, God is not fickle. He loved us enough to send Jesus. He loved us enough to save us. He loves us enough to live in us. And, He will love us when we go to live with Him in eternity. We are secure in God's love!
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your never-ending, constant, patient love. Thank you for not growing tired of me and my short-comings. I know that You love me as I am, but I am grateful that You are transforming me into a new creature. A better, a much better version of me. Please continue the work that You started so long ago. Remake me in Your image and teach me to love others with real love." Amen
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" Isaiah 6:1b-3 (NKJV)
Isaiah the Prophet was ushered into the throne room of the Almighty. It was quite a scene in that heavenly place. Angels flying around--the Creator shining like the sun sitting on a throne--heavenly choirs--thunder--lightning--a great gathering of the saints worshiping... "OK, I'm taking artistic license, but trust me, it was an amazing sight!" Isaiah gave us this much insight, we know that heaven in a remarkable place.
In the midst of Isaiah's vision he hears the angels remarking about another place in God's universe. They talked about the earth. They specifically said this about our tiny planet: "The whole earth is full of His (God's) glory!" Furthermore, they stated it as a fact. What were they referring to? Sorry about the redundancy; but, they were pointing out the fact that the whole earth is filled with God's glory!
I once wrote a song with the following lyric:
You can see it in the stars at night, you can see it in the ocean tide,
You can see it in the lightning, as it cuts against the sky,
You can see it in the heavens, the clouds, the moon, the sun,
You can hear creation singing, "See the glory of the Lord!"
See the glory of the Lord, See the glory of the Lord!
I do not deny that I'm a creative, artist type of person; however, I believe that the beauty of the creation--the variety of the creation--the complexity of the creation--the amazing interdependence of the creation--the apparent design of the creation all shout the glory of the Lord. The angels of heaven are right: "The whole earth is indeed filled with God's glory!"
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, I marvel at the universe You have created. It is truly astounding! Walking in the midst of great and ancient Oaks--seeing the color palate that surrounds me--feeling the breath of the wind--seeing the grace of the birds--the sounds of rushing water--the majesty of snow-capped mountains...It is all Your handiwork and reveals Your glory. I am not going to wait for the rocks to cry out--I give you praise for You are my God and my King. Lord, help me to walk this day in awe of You and what You have created!" Amen
Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh 8:9-10 (NKJV)
Back in the early 70's we sang a simple chorus that went like this:
The joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength,
The joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength.
Not a very sophisticated lyric and the bouncy melody simply added to the lighthearted sentiment of the song. As with all songs--even those that are poorly written--the important question is this: Is the theology in the song solid and true? In the case of "The Joy of the Lord," I would have to say that the theological concept is true and certainly worthwhile.
Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the Israelite exiles were coming home. Ezra the priest began to read to them the Law of Moses. Many of the exiles were hearing Moses' Law and the basis of their heritage for the very first time. With great emotion, the exiles began to weep as they listened to Ezra's voice.
Then Ezra encouraged them with this word: "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." What is the joy of the Lord and how does it give us strength? The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the cross for the "joy" that was set before Him. What was the "joy" that was set before Him? Ultimate victory over sin, death, hell and the grave! Our joy is also anchored in Christ's ultimate victory. We endure tribulation, difficulty, persecution and even death with this confidence: We will dwell in the House of the Lord forever!
Prayer: "Dear Father, it is amazing to think that You are the Creator of all that is, and yet you care about me personally. To be embraced as a beloved son fills me with confidence to face each and every day. I know that I am secure and safe in You. I pray that You would help me to be more joyful as I keep my eyes on You and not on the cares of this world. Cause me to walk with a courageous heart knowing that You will work all things for my good!" Amen
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:1-6 (NKJV)
I have become more aware of mortality as I move closer to being an "old" person. I guess that I must qualify as an old person since the average age of people living on planet earth is 15. "Are you serious...15?" As I move forward in time I have also experienced the pain of friends and family members passing away. This is also expected as everyone in my generation is aging. I enjoy life, so I have no death wish, but I see the day approaching.
I certainly do not have a morbid fascination with death, but as a Believer I also take comfort that there is a place being prepared for me on the other side of death. This turns the inevitable end in this life into the first step of the next. The skeptic might ask what is the basis of my hope. I can answer that challenge with one word: "Jesus."
Jesus had just prophesied concerning His death. Of course, His disciples were distraught. That is when Jesus let them know in no uncertain terms that He was going to prepare a place for them on the other side of death. All we know of in this life will pale compared to the place that is being prepared for us. After-all, Jesus has been preparing a place for us for almost two thousand years.
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to rescue us. I know that Believers all around the earth rejoice in the work of Your Son who conquered death, hell and the grave. Knowing that we will be with You forever gives us courage to face the specter of death with great hope. Lord, until my appointed time comes, I pray that You would send me into the harvest and that many would come to believe in You." Amen
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:1-2 (NKJV)
A person who is countercultural is a person who chooses a lifestyle and values that run in opposition to those of the established culture. If you ever wanted to be a rebel with a holy cause, you are living in the perfect culture and at the right time in history. If you believe that the Word of God is true, you are going to find yourself at odds with the established culture. If you believe in the values as detailed in the Law of Moses and reaffirmed in the New Testament you are going to be a countercultural warrior.
This does put you in a special class of people, because the prophets of the Old Testament, John the Baptist, Jesus and the early Apostles were all countercultural warriors. Why do we risk persecution by not embracing the cultural norms of the day? The answer for a Believer is simple, we know the truth. God's Word is true--Jesus is the way, the truth and the life--We know the truth and it has set us free... We are not interested in the counsel or wisdom of the ungodly, because we know the difference between right and wrong, or true and false.
The risk of persecution is real--and will be a growing threat against those who live and speak the truth. That said, the blessings of God far outweigh the risk--and that is an understatement. Countercultural warriors will be blessed in this life and the life to come. Their children will also be armed with the truth and have the opportunity to avoid all the destructive and foolish behavior of American Pop Culture. My advice: Know what you believe. Live what you believe. Stay true to what you believe.
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, I once again declare that I believe in You and I believe in Your Word. I agree with the Psalmist who stated that Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I pray that You would fill my heart with courage. Courage to live right--courage to stand for the things that I believe in--courage to speak the truth in love--courage to face the growing pressure to conform. May I be a countercultural warrior of love, grace, light and truth." Amen
