Are you a "self-made" man or woman?

Daniel 4

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5b-6

“I hate pride and arrogance.” Proverbs 8:13b

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

In what do you take pride? In your strength or wisdom or wealth? In the things you have accomplished in your life? We really don’t have any basis for pride, because, apart from God, we can’t do a single thing. However, it is always appropriate to thank and praise God for all He has given us and everything He has done through us. But we should always remember we owe it all to Him. King Nebuchadnezzar forgot this.

The king had a dream, and he called Daniel to interpret it for him. In his dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw an enormous tree with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit. The animals found shelter under it, and all the birds lived in its branches. The tree provided food for all the creatures. Then a messenger from heaven came down and commanded that the tree be cut down, the branches trimmed, the leaves stripped, and the fruit scattered. But the stump and the roots were to be bound with iron and bronze and remain in the ground.

A further part of the king’s dream was this prophecy in Daniel 4:16, “Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.”

Daniel was very reluctant to interpret the dream for Nebuchadnezzar, but he did. He said the tree represented the king, who had become great and strong with a far reaching kingdom. But God had decreed that the king would be driven away from people and live with wild animals. The stump and roots signified the the kingdom would be restored to the king when he acknowledged that God is sovereign. Daniel warned Nebuchadnezzar to renounce his sins and perhaps escape the fate described in the dream.

A year later Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon, and he said, “Is this not the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty powers and for the glory of my majesty?” Just as he finished bragging, he was driven outdoors, and all the prophecies in his dream came true. He ate grass like cattle. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. But after the allotted time, he was restored to his kingdom. He had learned his lesson because he said, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:37

Father, if I am walking with pride in myself and my accomplishments, let me learn from Nebuchadnezzar. Apart from You, I can do nothing. May gratitude replace pride. Amen.

What If God Doesn't Deliver You?

Daniel 3

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."  Daniel 3:17-18

After Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed and what it meant, the king fell prostrate before Daniel and said, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries." (from Daniel 2:47) Then the king gave Daniel many gifts, made him a ruler over the entire province of Babylon, and placed him in charge of all its wise men. At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as administrators over the province of Babylon, but Daniel stayed at the royal court.

You might think that Nebuchadnezzar would worship Daniel's God, the only One who could interpret the king's dream. But the king built a golden image ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up in the province of Babylon. He summoned all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image. This invitation was a command performance. Daniel's three friends, who were provincial administrators, were included in this invitation, but apparently Daniel was not.

After the crowd had gathered, a herald stood up and announced that, when the people heard music, they were required to fall down and worship the golden image. Those who failed to worship the image were to be thrown into a blazing furnace. Some of the astrologers came before the king and told him that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not worshiped the golden image. No doubt they were jealous of the king's favor toward these Jewish men.

The king was furious, and he summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He reiterated the consequences of disobedience to his order. And he asked the men what god could rescue them from his hand. Nebuchadnezzar had a false idea of his own power and of the power of God.

The three men said their God could deliver them, and he would deliver them, but if he did not, they still refused to worship the idol. This defiance sent the king into a rage. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the three men and throw them into the furnace. The fire was so hot that the soldiers were killed by the flames as threw their prisoners into them.

The king looked into the furnace and saw an amazing sight. Four men were walking around unbound and unharmed. The king told the men to come out, and everybody crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not burned their bodies, singed their hair, nor scorched their clothes. The men didn't even smell of smoke.

Nebuchadnezzar praised the faithfulness of the three men to their God and the faithfulness of their God to the three men. He said God had sent an angel and rescued his servants, and he declared that no other god could have saved them as their God did. Our faithfulness to God results in glory and praise to His name.

Father, may we stand firm and be faithful to You in every circumstance.  Give us courage when we are tested.  May our lives glorify You and cause others to praise You.  Amen.

Are You Praying for Wisdom?

Daniel 2

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."  James 1:5

Daniel and his friends were careful to obey God, and God gave them great knowledge and understanding. He also gave Daniel the ability to understand dreams and visions. This ability was put to good use. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign he had a dream that troubled him, and he summoned all the wise men to tell him what he had dreamed and what it meant. The astrologers asked the king to tell them what he had dreamed and assured him they could interpret it. However, the king kept insisting that they tell him both what he had dreamed and the interpretation. Scripture doesn't tell us whether the king had forgotten his dream or whether he was just testing the wise men in his kingdom. When the wise men said it was impossible for them to know what the king had dreamed, Nebuchadnezzar became so angry that he ordered them all put to death.

Men were sent to find Daniel and his friends and kill them. Daniel went to the king and asked for time so he could interpret the dream for him. Then he and his three friends began to pray earnestly. God heard their prayers and revealed the dream and the interpretation to Daniel during the night. Then Daniel prayed a beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us to pray about everything, but it also reminds us not to forget to thank God for His answers to our prayers. Daniel did not forget.

When Daniel went before the king to explain the dream, he gave God all the credit for revealing the dream and its meaning. Only God could have done that. Our heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers.

The dream was of a large statue with a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, a belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A rock smashed the statue, and the pieces of the statue were blown away, but the rock became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

The statue represented kingdoms that would exist throughout history. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. After him inferior kingdoms would arise, followed by a divided kingdom represented by the feet of part iron and part clay. The rock represented the kingdom that God will set up. It will never be destroyed but will crush all the other kingdoms, bringing them to an end. But God's kingdom will endure forever.

The king honored Daniel greatly, but he also recognized the greatness of Daniel's God. When we obey and glorify God, it can cause even unbelievers to recognize and acknowledge Him.

James has told us if we lack wisdom to ask God for it, and He will give it to us. Do you need wisdom and guidance for any situation in your life right now? Have you remembered to ask God for it? If not, will you follow Daniel's example and pray about it?

Father, thank You for hearing and answering our prayers.  Thank You for giving us wisdom, insight, and direction when we ask.  Amen.

Are You Dieting? Why?

Daniel 1

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then..."  Ephesians 6:13, 14a

Under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem. The king ordered one of his officials to pick out some of the finest of the young Jewish men, bring them to Babylon, educate them in the Babylonian language and culture, and prepare them to serve the king. Among those who were chosen were Daniel and three of his friends, who were given the Babylonian names of Belteshazzar (Daniel), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The king assigned these young men a daily portion of food and wine from his own table, so they were served the fine food that the king ate. But they decided not to eat the food furnished by the king. God had given His people dietary laws concerning what they should not eat, what they could eat, and how it was to be prepared. No doubt eating the king's food would cause Daniel and his friends to break some of these laws. Also, the Babylonians and other people of that era and in that vicinity customarily offered a portion of every meal, including wine, to their gods, and it may have been that these young Hebrew men did not want to eat food that had honored false gods. Regardless of the reasons, they saw eating the king's food and drinking his wine to be a violation of their consciences.

These men were young and far away from home. They were no longer under parental authority. They were in a strange land with different customs. It would have been so easy for them to do as the Babylonians did, to copy their customs. If you had been in their shoes, what do you think you would have done?

Daniel resolved not to defile himself by disobeying God's laws. He asked the guard who had been appointed over him and his three friends to give them vegetables and water for ten days and see how they fared on this diet. Daniel wisely operated through the proper channels with respect for authority, even though it was pagan authority. When he stepped out to stand firm on God's instructions, his three friends followed his stance. When we lead out in the right direction, others will often follow.

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than the other young men, so they were fed vegetables and water from then on. This was a low fat, low sugar, low carbohydrate, and very healthy diet, probably much healthier than the rich food of the king. The modern eating plan called The Daniel Plan is named and modeled after Daniel and his diet.

There is a wonderful little poem which challenges us to :

"Dare to be a Daniel.

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm.

Dare to make it known." 

When we decide ahead of time that we will obey God in any situation, God opens up ways for us to be obedient. When we honor Him, He helps us do the right thing.
Father, whatever our circumstances may be, I pray that we will always stand firm in obedience to You.  Amen.

Are You in Just the Right Time and Place?

Esther 1-10

"And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this." Esther 4:14b

The sovereignty of God is written on every page of this fascinating story. Watch God's hand move the characters.

King Xerxes knew how to throw a party. He gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials, the military leaders of Persia and Media, and the princes and nobles of the provinces. Everybody who was anybody was there. For one hundred eighty days he displayed the wealth and glory of his kingdom. He ended his revelry with a banquet in a beautifully decorated garden area of the palace. The wine was flowing in abundance. The king had shown off everything else in his kingdom. He decided to send for Queen Vashti and display her beauty to his drinking buddies. But Vashti refused to come! This made the king furious.

King Xerxes consulted his advisors to help him decide what he should do about the queen's refusal. One of them said Xerxes should ban the queen from his presence and get a new queen. Otherwise all the wives in the kingdom would be following Vashti's example and refuse to obey their husbands. Xerxes thought this was sound advice.

The king had many beautiful young women brought to the palace . One of these women was a Jewish girl named Esther. Her parents were dead, and she had been raised by a relative named Mordecai. She was Mordecai's uncle's daughter. He had instructed her carefully not to reveal the fact that she was Jewish to anyone. King Xerxes chose Esther to be his new queen.

Mordecai discovered a plot to assassinate the king and told Esther, who reported it to the king. This deed was recorded in one of the books recounting events in the kingdom.

King Xerxes promoted a man named Haman to the highest position of his nobles, and everyone in the kingdom knelt down and honored him except Mordecai. Haman was furious. He found out Mordecai was a Jew and decided to try to wipe out not only Mordecai but all of his people. He talked the king into sending out a decree to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom, saying their customs were different and they did not obey the king's laws. A day was set for all of the Jews to be annihilated.

Esther heard that Mordecai was in sackcloth and ashes, a sign of mourning. When Esther sent someone to inquire why, Mordecai sent word to her about the king's edict and told the emissary to instruct her to go to the king and beg him for mercy for her people. She sent back a reminder to Mordecai that anyone who approached the king without being summoned would be put to death unless he held out his gold scepter to them. It had been thirty days since the king had called for Esther. Mordecai reminded Esther that she would be killed with all the other Jews, and then he said, "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther agreed to go before the king,saying "If I perish, I perish." Esther 4:16b

The Jews fasted and prayed for Esther for three days. When she went into the king, God gave her favor in his sight, and he held out the golden scepter to her. She invited the king and Haman to dine with her. Haman bragged to all his friends about being invited, but in the meantime he had a gallows built to hang Mordecai.

That night the king could not sleep. For entertainment he had someone read to him out of one of the books that detailed kingdom events. God caused the reader to select the very book and the very passage that told how Mordecai had revealed the assassination plot. The next morning Haman came to ask the king's permission to hang Mordecai, but the king instructed him to honor Mordecai. Then the queen revealed that Haman's plot to kill the Jews would include her death also. King Xerxes had Haman hanged on the gallows he had built to hang Mordecai! What poetic justice. The Jewish nation had been saved because Esther fulfilled her purpose in the time and place where God had put her.

God has put you in just the right time and just the right place to fulfill His purposes through your life.

Father, may we be faithful and courageous to fulfill the purposes You have for us where You have placed us. Amen.

Do You Get the Job Done?

Nehemiah 1-6

"They said to me, 'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When I heard these things I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:3-4

Nehemiah was a Jew who lived in Babylon. He was the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. When some men came to Babylon from Judah, Nehemiah questioned them about the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem and about the conditions in the city itself. The news was very bad. Although the temple had been rebuilt, the exiles were struggling, the wall of the city was broken down, and the gates had been burned, giving invaders easy access to attack the city. This news caused Nehemiah to mourn, fast, and pray.

One day when Nehemiah took some wine into the king, he allowed his face to show sadness over the situation in Jerusalem. The king asked Nehemiah why he was sad, and Nehemiah told him what he had learned about Jerusalem and asked the king's permission to go rebuild the wall. The king granted Nehemiah permission, gave him letters to people who could help him, and provided soldiers to escort him safely.

Three days after his arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah went by night to inspect the damage to the wall. Then he met with some of the Jews, priests, nobles, and officials and told them about his trip from Babylon. He enlisted them to help rebuild the wall. Their reply was, "Let's get started."

Whenever we step out for God, enemies seem to surface. Nehemiah and his workers had enemies, especially three men named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, officials who wanted to keep the Jews weak and vulnerable. They mocked and ridiculed the Jews the whole time they were working on the wall. Tobiah said that the wall would be so feeble it would crumble if a fox walked on it.

Nehemiah was an excellent foreman. He gave specific sections of the wall to specified groups of people. They would be encouraged as they saw the progress they were making on their part of the wall.

As the wall went up, the opposition increased. Nehemiah's enemies tried to frighten and intimidate Nehemiah, but he refused to give in to their attempts. He trusted God instead. When the Jews heard that their enemies planned to attack them, half of the men worked on the wall, and the other half armed themselves and guarded the workers. Nehemiah and his fellow Jews stood firm in their faith, but they were also prepared to fight if necessary.

The completion of the wall was a great victory for the Jews and a testimony to the power and protection of God. Nehemiah 6:16 gives this commentary, "When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."

The wall had been torn down for 142 years, and nobody had done anything about it. When Nehemiah came with a vision to rebuild it, the wall was completed in 52 days. Nehemiah is an amazing example of a godly leader. He was a man of prayer. He prayed first, but he was also a man of action. He planned his steps carefully, but when the time came he moved out courageously. Most of all Nehemiah cared. He cared enough to ask about Jerusalem, to weep over the destruction that had taken place, to pray for God's direction, and then to go himself to get the job done.

Abraham cared and rescued Lot. Esther cared enough to risk her life to save her people. Paul cared and spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus cared and died on the cross for us. God is always looking for people who will care and pray and move out. Are you and I willing to be such people?

Father, may we care and pray and plan wisely and then move out with courage, trusting You to carry out Your will through us. Amen.

Are You Influencing the Future?

2 Chronicles 34-35

"He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or the left." 2 Chronicles 34:2

Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, was deep into idol worship. He rebuilt the high places where idols were worshiped and which his father, Hezekiah, had torn down. He built altars to the false gods, the Baals, and made Asherah poles to worship other idols. He worshiped the stars and threw his children into the fire as sacrifices. He practiced witchcraft and consulted mediums. God allowed him to be captured and taken to Babylon in bronze shackles with a hook in his nose. Then he humbled himself before God and prayed. God heard his prayer and restored him as King in Jerusalem. The last part of 2 Chronicles 23:13 says, "Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God."

Afterward, Manasseh did an about face. He got rid of the foreign gods and threw out the altars that had been built to worship them. Then he restored the altar of God and sacrificed fellowship and thank offerings to the true God.

Manasseh's son, Amon, succeeded his father as king. He worshiped and sacrificed to idols as his father had originally done. After Amon's death, his eight year old son, Josiah, became king. Josiah followed in the footsteps of King David. When he was sixteen, he began to seek the God David had worshiped. When he was twenty, he began to purge Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, the altars of Baal, and idols. Then he sent men to repair the temple.

While the temple was being restored, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Moses. Shaphan, the secretary, took the book to King Josiah and read part of it to him. King Josiah tore his robes, humbled himself before God, and wept because he realized how greatly his ancestors had disobeyed God. King Josiah called all the people together and read to them from the book of the law. Then the king renewed the covenant to follow God and keep His commandments, and he had all the people renew the covenant as well. Josiah removed all the idols in his kingdom, and, as long as Josiah lived, the Israelites in Judah followed the God of their ancestors.

The story of Josiah shows us the tremendous power and influence of leadership. He turned his whole kingdom from idol worship to the worship of God.

Why would a young king choose to worship God rather than the idols his father worshiped? I have to believe that there was a strong godly influence in his life. It could have been his grandfather, who turned from idol worship, or a godly mother or godly advisors, but there must have been someone in his life who counteracted the evil influence of his ungodly father.

What about you? Who has been a godly influence in your life--a parent, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a teacher, a minister, a friend or a neighbor? Think about the young people in your circle of acquaintances--children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, your friend's children, children in your neighborhood or church. Will you ask God to give you opportunities to be a godly influence in their lives, to help guide them to Him?

Father, may we be aware of the young people with whom we are acquainted. May be seek opportunities to influence them for You. Amen.