This article about Daniel, is one of a series of articles built around the theme, “What would they say to us now?” From the perspective of eternity and a completed life, what would they say is really important to us today?
A few years ago, the movie Chariots of Fire, was nominated for several academy awards. It was particularly amazing because there was no sex or violence or foul language and had a cast of unknown actors. The movie won Oscars for the best picture, best original screenplay and best music score.
The movie was the true story of Eric Leddell, a Scotsman, a leading student at Cambridge University and one of the world’s greatest athletes. Eric was a young man of strong personal convictions. On his way to Paris, France for the 1924 Olympics, he learned the qualifying heat for the 100 meters, the one race for which he had trained, was scheduled for a Sunday. He had a conviction that as a Christian, it would be wrong for him to run competitively on Sunday. Eric believed that Sunday was the Lord’s Day and refused to run.
The British Olympic committee, put immense pressure on him to run, but he maintained that his conscience would not allow him to run and he refused to run. He gave up the right to run in the Olympics. At one point, his coach said to Eric, “It’s only a qualifying heat, it really doesn’t matter very much.” Eric thought for a moment and then said, “Yeah it does!”
Leddell made a significant decision in what the world would say was a minor area of life. Sunday was a special day in the mind of Eric Leddell because the Bible said it was to be treated differently from every other day. He felt Sunday should be different from every other day. His conviction was that he would not praise and glorify God if he ran on Sunday. In spite of pressure from many sources, he gave up the privilege to run.
What made Eric make such a significant decision? Was it a spur of the moment decision? Was it the result of some legalistic religious belief? No, it was something more fundamental. Eric had a basic conviction that determined all his choices. Eric had made an earlier decision to follow God that guided him in making this decision.
Where are the people with such convictions today? What convictions do you have, for which you are willing to take a stand, regardless of what others do? The world is trying to squeeze us into its mold. It’s easy to cave in to the pressures. The world laughs at people with moral convictions.
The moral convictions of our world are going by the way and our way of life is becoming increasingly secular. It seems people are ready to compromise just about everything. As the standards of our world get lower and lower, it seems that there are fewer and fewer Christians who will stand up and say, “This is not right and I’m going to stand for what’s right!”
DANIEL
Daniel was exiled to Babylon with the people of Israel in about 583 BC. Babylon, where the Israelites had been taken captive, was a powerful pagan country. The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon had taken the Israelites to live in Babylon.
Daniel was about 14 years of age when was taken captive but he lived a long life. He went on to become an honored leader among the world’s leading gentile political and military leaders.
Daniel lived with pressure, mistreatment, was tested and tried and often stood alone. If Daniel could speak to us today, what would he say?
1. STAND TALL IN YOUR CONVICTIONS
Personal convictions are in short supply today. The guiding principle seems to be, if it feels good, do it! Situation ethics control our decision-making.
One of the early tests came when the king prepared a feast of his best food but 14-year- old Daniel decided he could not eat the food. There was nothing wrong with the food other than it had been offered to idols. This was a dilemma for him. Daniel had to decide whether he would obey the king or his God. Daniel chose not to eat the king’s food. It was a decision to go against popular opinion and the pressure of the king. The decision put him at the mercy of the king.
How did Daniel, a young teenager, have the conviction and courage to draw the line and say, I will go this far, but no farther, regardless of what the king says? Here’s the key: Daniel’s first decision was not the decision to pass on king’s food. That was really his second decision. The decision not to eat the king’s food was easy because he’d made an earlier decision.
Daniel’s first decision was this: when faced with a choice, I will choose to honor God above all else. He had settled that issue long before this day. He would honor God. Having made that fundamental decision, the decision about the food was easy.
Every decision we make is a secondary decision. Our daily decisions at school, in the home and in the work place reflect a more basic decision. If we’ve made the right basic decision, to honor God above all else, every other decision is easy.
What was the result of Daniel’s decision? Daniel and his friends looked ten times better and were healthier than those who ate at the king’s table.
Most people who study the story of Daniel, want to talk about the lion’s den, the fiery furnace and the prophecies of end-time events. However, it is foolish to slip over this opening incident. The event about the king’s food is foundational.
Daniel would tell us that our most significant decision is to honor God above all else.
2. STAND TALL IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS
Throughout his life, Daniel faced trials, mistreatment and impossible situations. Daniel stood tall in all of them. He would that we also can stand tall in critical situations.
When King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he could not remember, he demanded his wise men tell him both what the dream was and what it meant. When they could not, Nebuchadnezzar was furious and ordered them executed. Daniel was not present to hear the order but was one of the wise men to be executed.
In faith, Daniel boldly said he could tell the dream and its meaning to the king. When he spoke, he did not know the dream, but he was a man who had faith in his God. He knew his God would see him through this predicament.
Faith is a decision to trust God when you don’t know the outcome. When you face a critical situation, trust God for the outcome. Great people are just ordinary people of extraordinary faith. Demonstrating faith is how to respond to impossible circumstances.
Daniel was proactive in his faith; he didn’t just walk to his execution in faith.
Daniel’s experiences teach that there will be times when we stand alone. When everyone was ordered to bow before the large image of the king, Daniel and his friends stood alone.
When Nebuchadnezzar learned that they hadn’t bowed, he was angry. The young men were called in and questioned. The king said, fellows, you are some of my favorites, I’ve promoted you and you’ve been loyal and helpful. I can’t believe you wouldn’t do what I ordered.
Nebuchadnezzar gave them a second chance, saying, we’ll go through the whole exercise again, just for you. When you hear music, just bow down. If you don’t, I have no choice, I’m bound by my words: and don’t push your luck. No god can deliver you. Listen for the music. You won’t miss the music.
They answered the king quickly. Nebuchadnezzar, with all due respect, we don’t need a second chance. And king, it’s not a power question, because our God is able to deliver us and our lives are in God’s hands not yours. Nebuchadnezzar, you’ve got to know, if God wants to, he can deliver us.
You have to love the response of these young men. It was not a difficult decision for them. They didn’t ask, “Now what are we going to do?” Their response to the king was simply the logical extension of their basic decision to honor God above all else.
They made it very clear. If God chooses to deliver us, great, but if not, we’re still going to trust him. We’re going to honor God above all else.
God honored them for standing tall. God doesn’t promise to keep us from trials, but he does promise to be with us in the midst of them.
3. STAND TALL IN COMMUNICATION WITH GOD
Repeatedly, Daniel stood tall in prayer. Daniel prayed when facing his execution. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:18).
Daniel and his friends prayed before they did anything else. They knew it was a waste of time to pursue other options. Prayer was their first resort, not the last. They didn’t look for the answer in a book or their associates. They prayed. They didn’t plan an escape. They didn’t discuss their options. They didn’t gripe and complain and have a pity party. They knew that God, and God alone could help them.
Daniel learned that living a God-honoring life does not free us from life’s injustices. When people were jealous of Daniel, they tricked the king into making an unfair decree which made it illegal to pray to anyone except the king. It was Daniel’s habit of regular prayer that led him to the lion’s den and it was prayer that got him out.
As much as we need to read Christian literature, hear regular spiritual teaching, fellowship and need to worship with others, most of all we need an intimate walk with God. Nothing replaces the importance of time alone with God. This was the key to Daniel’s strength. For nearly 70 years, he’d been one on one with God. He got his convictions and courage from God.
That’s where he got the courage to say, “I can’t eat your food.” That’s where he got the wisdom to say, “Nebuchadnezzar, I have the interpretation for your dream.” That’s why he kept praying in the face of death.
For Daniel, a life without prayer isn’t worth living. Walking with God was the source of everything. Daniel never said he was too busy to pray. He knew the sentiment behind Bill Hybels’ book, Too busy not to pray.
Often, at the end of a day I think back over my day – things I’ve said, things I’ve done, things I should have done, and wonder why I did what I did. The reason is simple: there was a lack of prayer. The source of proper attitudes is found in God.
Daniel didn’t just bring God his requests, he prayed with thanksgiving. There was no bitterness about his circumstances. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Daniel 6:10).
Daniel prayed passionately. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:3). He pleaded with God. He begged. He went without food. He was serious about praying.
Daniel stood tall in a secular society by developing strong convictions, demonstrating faith in critical situations and maintaining intimate communication with his God. There is no other way to stand strong in a secular world.
A complete directory of articles can be found at http://calsinsights.com/
You can receive this material regularly by email – just fill in your email address at the bottom left side of the home page under subscription options and you will receive a copy of each new article as it is posted.
To forward the material to someone else, press the “share this” button and fill in an email address.
I appreciate all your comments and suggestions.