February 3, 2011

Read Daniel 1:8-14

Even though Daniel chose to stand up for God to avoid being covenantally linked to the foreign King, he did not bulldoze those around him. Daniel continued to act in love and humility, as God had loved and served him.  The chief official was worried that Daniel and his friends would be discovered by the King and because of his own apparent neglect of the prisoners, his head would roll. He was worried for his life.  What was Daniel’s reaction? It was not ‘Stuff you, buddy’. On the contrary, Daniel acted in love and compassion.

Daniel decided to eat only vegetables and water for 10 days. After that time the chief official, whose life was on the line, could check and assess them. The official was free to treat them according to what he found in their appearance after ten days.

Loving compassion is a powerful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, isn’t it?

Imagine what the people in your world would see of Jesus if you acted in the same kind of loving compassion. Imagine how brightly the light of Christ would shine at work, with your friends and among your family as you determine to NOT love the world but to love God wholeheartedly and to treat everyone with this kind of loving compassion. People will start asking you ‘What’s going on?’. They’ll want to know what you have that they are missing. They’ll start asking about this God you so diligently serve. Glory be to God as he uses you to grow His kingdom.

Prayer:

þ Pray that you will be a model of Christ-like love and compassion to those in your world that don’t know Christ yet. Pray that you would have wisdom to know how to act in each particular group or setting. Pray this too for everyone in your congregation. Ask God to grow the kingdom through our love and compassion to those who don’t know Christ.

þ Pray for Shiloh Church Ministries as they seek to show the love and compassion to the needy - orphans, widows, the displaced and so on. Pray that God would grant them all they need to shine Jesus to their world - finances, a right attitude and heart, believers willing to work and so on.

þ Pray that we will see God powerfully at work as we love those around us, as we share the Word of Life with them and as we pray for them.