Friar Tuck's Word of the Day: Daniel: Withstanding the Pressure

(Daniel 1:3-6,8,17,20 NIV)? "Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- {4} young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. {5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. {6} Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. {8} But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. {17} To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. {20} In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.?

The nation of Judah strayed from God and as a result was conquered by Babylon. Daniel was taken captive and chosen to serve the King. Daniel had special gifts from God. He could interpret dreams and visions. King Nebuchadnezzar had some dreams and Daniel was the only one who could interpret them.

Daniel had resolved not to eat Babylonian food or drink their wine. He vowed to set himself apart from the carnal culture of the Babylonians. This set him up for criticism and attack. (Daniel 2:1-6)? (Daniel 2:47-48 NIV) ?The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." {48} Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men." (Daniel 6:3-4 NIV)? "Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. {4} At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.?

When God is being glorified, the enemy kicks it into high gear.

Daniel?s enemies knew he was a man who prayed daily to his God, so they set a trap by getting the king to issue a decree that ?praying to anyone other than the king? was against the law. Daniel was un-phased. He went home, opened his windows, and prayed to God in plain view. He would not behave as though he was ashamed of his God. He would not bow to the pressure to deny his beliefs.

In so doing Daniel shames those of us today whose greatest dilemma seems to be, ?Do I pray in restaurants or not?.

As a result of his convictions, Daniel ended up being thrown into a den of lions. But the Lord ?shut the mouths of the lions? and Daniel was unharmed. (Daniel 6:16-28)

Withstanding pressure to compromise our principles can be a difficult and lonely business. Daniel was one of those exceptional people who would not bow or be assimilated by the Borg of Babylon. God calls us to be exceptional too. God calls all his people to be exceptional.

We learn from Daniel that being faithful is not contingent upon being free. In fact, regardless of our circumstances we are always free to be faithful.

But sometimes we worship our freedom more than the one who gives us freedom. Daniel was a P.O.W. and a slave but lived as a free man even in his captivity. He was faithful to God even when it appeared that God was not faithful to him. Being faithful is not contingent upon being free.

Many Christians today need to ask this question: Is it freedom we worship or is it the Lord of freedom? Be exceptional.

Source: http://crossroadsdevotional.blogspot.com/2012/10/daniel-withstanding-pressure.html

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