February 2, 2011

Read Daniel 1:3-8.

The Israelites were no strangers to living in foreign lands and being subject to foreign kings. They dwelt in Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh for about 400 years. When they left Egypt they dwelt in the desert wilderness for 40 years.

After entering the Promised Land they were dominated by several different foreign countries for much of their stay in the land. Now, as they are evicted from the land they again face dominion and rule by a foreign King. Unfortunately it was their sinfulness that led to them being ruled by a foreigner time and time again.

But in this foreign land of Babylon we see that Daniel would not defile himself with the royal food and wine. Though many so called scholars have declared that this is a biblical mandate to diet or to avoid meat eating, their exegesis leaves much to be desired. Daniel is not dieting.  He is not taking a stand against meat eating.  To understand what Daniel is doing, read 1 John 2:15-17 and James 4:4. The Children of God are called to be separate from the world. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We live in the world but we are citizens of heaven. We find our meaning and value in the Lord and not in the things of the world.

For Daniel, to eat from the royal food of the table would mean to be in a covenant bond with a foreign king. For a God fearing believer this is unthinkable and completely unacceptable. We cannot and should not be bound to the world in any way, shape or form.

Daniel was defying the king and stating that he was God’s man first and foremost. Nothing or no one would get in the way of him being God’s man.

Are you and I willing to stand up to be God’s man or woman no matter what the cost? Are we willing to be allied to God and separate from the world, no matter what persecution comes our way. Daniel was! Jesus was! I pray that you and I are!

What we watch on TV, what we read, the things we spend our money on, the things we do with our time, the thoughts of our heart, the people we hang out with and the way we conduct ourselves all show where our allegiances really lie. Do they lie with the world? Do we wish to keep one foot in the world and enjoy the blessings of the world while giving only lip service to Jesus? Do we want to be Sonday Christians that live for ourselves Monday to Saturday? Are we willing to live a half hearted mediocre Christian life as we drown in the trappings of the world? Or will we make a decision to live for God? Will we dedicate our lives to him and put all the trappings of the world in their proper perspective? Will we commit our hearts, our wallets, our minds, our assets and our time to the Lord? YES WE WILL!

Prayer:

þ Pray that you and your brothers and sisters in the Lord will commit wholly and solely to the Lord Jesus Christ.

þ Pray that your congregation will see God powerfully at work.