(Read Daniel 1:1-8)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity).” We are about four months into this series and I trust you have been blessed thus far. As you should know by now, I like to teach by both precept and example. In this series I have given you lots of principles and precepts, and for an example we looked at the life of Joseph. Starting today we will look at another example, Daniel. For the next few weeks we will learn how to win in life by gleaning golden nuggets from the life of Daniel.
The book of Daniel opens with king Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army surrounding Jerusalem during the third year of king Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah. Before long Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jehoiakim and he took several items from God’s Temple in Jerusalem and transported them to Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, the man in charge of his officials, to select the best and brightest of the newly acquired Hebrew slaves in order to train them. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only healthy boys with no bruises, scars, or anything wrong with their bodies. The king was looking for handsome and smart young men who were able to learn things quickly and easily. Ashpenaz’s task was to train the men to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. But before any of the Hebrew slaves could serve the king, Ashpenaz was charged to teach them the language, writings and ways of the Chaldeans – a process that would take three years.
Among the Hebrews selected for this special service were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the tribe of Judah. Ashpenaz gave them Babylonian names. Daniel’s new name was Belteshazzar, Hananiah’s was Shadrach, Mishael’s was Meshach, and Azariah’s was Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar allocated a daily portion of food and wine for the Hebrew trainees. The king was so invested in this project that he allowed the Hebrew boys to eat what he ate. But Daniel did not want to eat the king’s rich food and wine because it would make him unclean. So Daniel asked Ashpenaz for permission not to make himself unclean in this way.
We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s get into it.
1. Sometimes negative things happen that you have no control over, but you get to control how you respond to negative situations. Daniel’s nation fell to the Babylonians, he wound up a slave without ever doing anything wrong, but slave or not, Daniel was determined to make the most of the life he was given. How will you respond to negative situations in life?
2. God can give you holy boldness to refuse to compromise, even when those in authority are pushing you to violate your integrity. Daniel was a slave, his new captors wanted him to embrace things that violated his integrity, but he had the holy boldness to stand for what he believed in. Do you?
3. You must have a set of core values that become the foundation for your life’s decisions. Daniel’s core values were grounded in God and His Law, and he refused to violate his values or his God. If you don’t know what you stand for, you won’t be able to stand against anything.
4. Faith attempts the seemingly impossible. Daniel was a slave, he had no authority in Babylon, his captors had all the ‘say-so’, but Daniel made a request by faith. He asked his master if he could refuse the king’s food and maintain a diet that would be pleasing to his God. It seemed like an unreasonable request for a slave, but faith asks for the unreasonable, believes the impossible, and attempts the outrageous! Is this the type of faith you have?
5. Your position does not have to dictate your disposition. Daniel was a slave, a servant to the Babylonians, a stranger in a foreign land, but he did not allow situation to dictate his temperament. He believed God and God used him mightily, for His glory. What will you do? Will you drive-on past negative situations or will you allow a bad situation to steal your praise and your power?
Dare to be a Daniel!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. Your Word is full of examples where bad things happened to good people, and where those good people overcame the bad situations. This give me hope. Because I know You made plans for me before the world began, and I also know that Your plans cannot be derailed by negative circumstances. Actually, You already knew every bad thing that would happen to me, before it happened, and You had the power to keep it from happening. There are countless things You have kept me from, things I will only find out about when I get to heaven. But for those You permitted, for those You allowed me to face, You have already given me the grace to overcome them. So if I am facing it, I know I can take it, and I know You have already given me the grace for it. So I keep going. I keep pressing. I keep pursuing Your divine purpose by faith. Knowing Your grace is already in me to experience the victory. I dare to be a Daniel. I refuse to allow a negative situation to strip me of my praise or my power. I maintain my integrity, which is based on the core values I have established in life; values that are rooted and grounded in Your Word. Since I am rooted, I can bloom anywhere I am planted. I believe I will succeed in life, no matter what the circumstances around me look like. I walk and live by faith. My faith asks for the unreasonable, believes the impossible, and attempts the outrages! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
