Friday, November 6, 2015

Stand With Daniel!




Finally, they said to one another, “We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel, unless it has to do with his religion.”  They all went to the king and said: “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever!
 
All of your officials, leaders, advisers, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next 30 days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions.   Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed.”  So King Darius made the law and had it written down.  

Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God.


Daniel 6:5-10

If you live in a country that is openly opposed to Jesus Christ, then perhaps you find it rather easy to identify the laws which must not be honored as a Christian. You also know that persecution for your faith in Jesus is more than likely! You may indeed be challenged to renounce Jesus or suffer greatly for not doing so!

But if you live in a land which "officially" recognizes freedom of religion you must also watch out for the problem Daniel had. The law that the king signed did not suspend praying to God forever, it was just for 30 days. So why couldn't Daniel just obey the law and wait for one month before he prayed to God? And perhaps he could have just closed the windows so no one would know he was praying. It would have been easy for Daniel to hide his prayers from men so that he would not have to go to the lion's den! But Daniel would not compromise his faith, even for 30 days!

In the United States we hear often about those who are being told they cannot pray to God in public where anyone can see them. And there are those who refuse to obey those orders and pray anyway! But I wonder how many among us are not being like Daniel? Are you afraid of the lion's den? Are you telling yourself that the man made rule about restricting prayer is not really in conflict with your walk of faith? Or will you be one of those who will stand with Daniel in Heaven to be recognized for risking everything to honor the Lord Jesus Christ?

"Lord Jesus, help me today to listen to Your Word and not the words of men when they contradict You. May I be like Daniel and have the courage to stand with Daniel even if I am threatened with a pit of lions! And may You be praised forever. Amen."

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