Stand In Faith

If you have ever prayed for something and never saw any results, if you have prayed for miracles that have never happened, or for help that has yet to come, you are not alone.  We have all been in those situations and many of us are there right now.  This week I have been praying for a situation that personally has just kind of broken my heart and the truth is that I will never fully know the result of that prayer.  If this is where you are today, then I hope you will hear something that will give you hope and encouragement.  We are in a series called STAND and today we are going to look at how Daniel was able to stand in faith when he didn’t see God moving.  

Daniel is now in his 80’s which means that for over 6 decades Daniel had been living in exile.  He was forced out of Israel as a teenager when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, and he had risen to power and leadership under the Babylonians and now the Persians.  We have seen how Daniel stood out to follow God, how he stood up for what was right and how he stood strong when people tried to tear him down.  For more than 60 years, Daniel has been praying for one thing - the restoration of Israel.   

For decades, Daniel prayed for the deliverance of his people, and it had not happened.  He prayed that he and his people would be able to return to the land of Israel, and it had not happened.  He prayed for the restoration of the Temple and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and it did not happen.  While God honored and blessed Daniel in so many ways, his prayers and dreams had not been fulfilled and it was in a vision that Daniel was being asked by God to now Stand In Faith.  

When Daniel prayed for his people, all he saw was ongoing conflict and destruction so he decided to fast and pray for 21 days.  Once again he knelt in prayer in order to stand strong, and at the end of those 3 weeks, Daniel had a vision of a heavenly being that was so full of God’s glory that it drove him to his face.  

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.  A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.  He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.  Daniel 10:7-11

There are two things we see happening here that helps Daniel stand up and these are the same things that can help us stand in faith when we think God is not listening or acting.  The first is that a hand reached out and touched Daniel.  A hand reached out to Daniel in his prayer to remind him he was not alone.  When we are struggling to make sense out of what God is doing, or what we think God is not doing, God’s hand reaches out to us.  We may not see it, we may not feel it like Daniel did, but God’s hand is always reaching out to us - and God is reminding us we are not alone.  God’s hand is offering us strength, grace, peace, and power.  Whenever we feel that God is not working or that God is not present, we need to know that His hand is reaching out to us.  

The second thing we see is why God’s hand was reaching out to Daniel, it was because God loved him.  The messenger said that Daniel was highly esteemed by God.  He was loved by God.  What helps us stand in faith is knowing beyond any doubt that God loves us.  God loves us more than we can possibly imagine.  God’s love reaches out to us when we are in need, and God’s voice tells us we are loved if we will take the time to listen.  Experiencing the love of God’s hand and hearing affirmation from God’s word helps us stand in faith when we are uncertain and filled with doubts.  

One of my favorite passages in the Bible says the same thing.  One of the reasons I love this passage is because at a point in my own life when I felt like everything was lost, God reached out to me, and a few weeks later I came upon these words of affirmation.  As I read them, it was the first time the Bible was not a collection of ancient words, these were now my words.  This was my story, it was my heart, and from that moment on I read and heard scripture differently.  Psalm 18:1-19

I love the images here.  We cry out to God and God hears us.  Our cry is not only heard but it moves the heart of God so much that He reaches out and lifts us up out of deep waters.  God’s hand and love moves us to a safe place.  God doesn't do this because we deserve it, or because we have been good, but because God delights in us.  He loves us.  This doesn’t mean everything we pray for will happen the way we want it to and at the time we want it to.  It doesn’t mean all our problems will be solved by the end of our time in worship, or by the end of the week, or the end of the year.  It just means we can stand in faith because we are not standing alone, we are standing with one who comes to be with us and to love us. 

Daniel stood in faith because he knew that God was with him and that God loved him, but he heard something else that helped him keep standing in faith.  Daniel 10:12

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.  But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.  Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

Let’s set aside our questions about this prince of Persia and the spiritual battle that is talked about and focus on what the messenger said first.  Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.  

The first day Daniel prayed for his people, God heard him.  That could mean 21 days earlier, but it could also mean 60 years earlier, but the first time he prayed - God heard him.  If you have been praying for a long time and are not seeing any results, or if you are wondering if God hears you, or if God cares about you and your situation, then hear this:  God heard you the first time you prayed.  

God heard you the first time you prayed for healing.  God heard you the first time you prayed for a job, or for a relationship to be healed, for our nation to be healed.  God heard you the first time you prayed for your children, or the children of our world.  God hears us the first time we pray and while this doesn’t mean we stop praying (perseverance in prayer is important), we can’t question whether or not God hears us.  He does.  

Once again, Psalm 18 says that God hears our cry from his temple and He comes to save us.  The process of salvation, the work that God might need to do to resolve the situation and deliver us might take some time, but God heard us the first time we prayed.  

This vision of Daniel’s tells us that God reaches out to us because He loves us, and that He not only hears our prayer but that He is working for our good even if we see nothing happening.  If you think about it, God’s hand often has to be at work behind the scenes before we see anything change.  Have you ever gotten a note, phone call, or gift at just the right moment?  Well, God had to be moving in those people days or weeks beforehand to plant the idea and work out the details.  

In the life of the church there have been many moments when God came through for us at just the right time, but that was only because He had been moving months or years in advance.  One area where we have all been able to see this is in our current live streaming of worship.  A few years ago we upgraded all our lights and audio which has helped the look of our services, and then at the end of 2019 we hired Justin Maddox to be our technical director.  We had no idea what 2020 was bringing us, but God did, so when we needed help a year ago, we already had in place what we needed.  Just because we don’t see God moving doesn’t mean God is not at work.  God is doing more than we can see or understand which means we can stand in faith..  

The final thing we see from Daniel is that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.  Daniel 10:15-19

While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.  Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak.  How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”

Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.  “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”

Daniel is at the end of his own strength.  He has nothing left, even his breath is gone, and it is only then that the messenger says, Now be strong.  None of us like getting to the place where we come to the end of our own strength, but many times that is the only place where we begin to experience God’s strength. Too often we want to be in control and we want to be able to rely upon ourselves alone, but there are times we can only stand in faith when faith is all we have left to stand on.  As long as we are standing in our own wisdom, or our own cleverness, or our own understanding and ability, we aren’t really standing in faith.  When we stand in our own strength we aren’t drawing upon the strength of God.  

Getting to a place of true weakness is not comfortable and so we fight, but instead of fighting it we need to embrace it, and we embrace it through humility.  That’s what Daniel was doing when he had the vision, he was humbling himself and seeking God’s power and strength in prayer.  Humility in prayer is needed if we are going to hear God’s voice and see God’s hand at work.  Fasting and prayer is one way we can stand in faith saying that we are not going to trust our own power but God’s power.  

A simple children’s song makes this point for us.  In Jesus loves me it says, we are weak, but He is strong.  It doesn’t say when we are weak God will make us strong, it says that in our weakness God is there to be our strength.  Instead of running away from weakness there are times we need to run toward it and humble ourselves trusting that God will meet us there and be our strength.  

When we don’t see God, when we don’t hear God’s voice, when we question God’s actions or inactions, we can stand in faith because:

● God’s hand is reaching out to us.

● God loves us more than we know.

● God is doing more right now than we understand 

● In our weakness, God is strong

Keep standing in faith.  

 

Next Steps

Stand In Faith

When have you experienced God reaching out to you?  How did that help you and the situation you were in?

When have you prayed for something and God answered quickly?  When have you prayed and it seemed like God didn’t answer at all?

What are you praying for now and not sensing God’s presence or power?  

Read Daniel 10.

What had Daniel been praying for during his life?  How does this vision help Daniel stand (and pray) in faith?  

Which of the following can help you stand in faith?  

● God is reaching out to me.  

● God loves me more than I can imagine

● God is doing more than I can see or understand

● God’s strength is made perfect in My weakness

Read Psalm 18.  How do we see these same principles at work in this psalm?  

How will you pray differently this week knowing that God loves you and is actively working in your life?  

What does humility look like in your relationship with God?  

Stand Strong

This month we are looking at stories from the life of Daniel to learn how to STAND with and for God in this New Year, and today we are going to look at probably the most familiar story we know about Daniel, Daniel in the Lion’s Den.  I don’t know what image comes to mind when you think of this story, but for me it’s usually something like this. (Picture)  Since this is usually a story we find in children’s Bibles, we often see Daniel surrounded by cartoon lions that look like big tame cats that he could pet, or cuddle up with.  While this is fine for telling the story to children, we need to understand that the circumstances of Daniel being in the lion’s den were much different, and his experience teaches us something about standing strong in our own faith.  

The first thing to understand is that the lions were not tame pets.  These were wild beasts kept in a dungeon underground for the sole purpose of killing people who were tossed in.  The idea of being tossed into this pit must have been terrifying for anyone, including Daniel.  The second thing to consider is that Daniel might be in his 70’s or even 80’s at this time, and had risen to be one of the top leaders in the nation.  Daniel had been a risen up as a valuable and trusted leader under King Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, and when the Persian’s defeated Babylon, Daniel remained in power.  In Daniel 6, we see the new king, Darius, divide the nation into the three regions and appoint an administrative leader over each one.  Because of Daniel’s gifts and abilities, the king not only made Daniel an administrator, but planned to put Daniel over the entire kingdom.

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators 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. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”  Daniel 6:3-5

While the king saw the value of Daniel’s leadership, the other leaders were jealous.  Daniel was not only better at the job than they were, but he was a foreigner.  He was neither a Persian nor a Babylonian, he was from Israel and he had never given up his faith in God.  The more God blessed Daniel as he stood out and stood up, the more those around him wanted to tear him down.  When God raised Daniel up, others tried to tear him down.  There is an important lesson for us here.  

We often think that if we are serving God, living for God, or standing out and standing up for our faith that things should go well for us.  We have this idea that when we are faithful, we will get what we want, and when we follow God, life will be easy.  But this is simply not true, and it never has been.  All through scripture we find stories of people who stood strong in their faith and things were difficult.  Moses stood strong each time he went to Pharaoh, and each time Pharaoh sent him away saying NO.  Even when God finally set the people of Israel free, their travels through the wilderness were difficult.  

Before David became the king he honored God and yet he was chased down and persecuted by Saul.  Jesus lived for God in all ways.  He stood out, and he stood up, and yet he was constantly misunderstood and persecuted. The Apostle Paul followed Jesus and did all God called him to do and he was arrested, beaten, put in prison, shipwrecked, and finally killed for his faith.  We have to let go of this idea that if we will just stand strong in our faith that everything will be easy.  It won’t.  Problems will come, pain will come, disappointment and trials will come while we are serving God and standing strong, but through it all, God will be with us. 

So as God raised Daniel up, the other administrators wanted to tear Daniel down, but they couldn’t find any grounds for it in his work, so they turned to his faith.  They had the king issue a decree that no one could pray to anyone but the king.  

So these administrators went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.  Daniel 6:6-9

Those jealous of Daniel plotted to destroy him, and now Daniel has three choices.  

● He can stop praying for 30 days.

● He can fake it and pray privately so no one notices.

● He can stand strong and pray as he always did.  

I had to ask myself what I would do in a situation like this.  Please don’t read more into this than what I am saying, I know we are in a politically divisive time, and I am not suggesting either side is, has, or will ever do this, but what would we do if we were told we had to pray to the president alone for 30 days or else be killed.  Would we stop praying?  Would we keep going as we always did?  Or would we just pray privately so that no one would know.  The decree did not say you had to pray to the king, just that you couldn’t pray to any other god or human.  So I won’t pray to the king, I’ll just pray to God in private.  I can see myself doing that, not making waves, but that is not what Daniel chose to do.  

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 stood strong, and what gave him the strength to stand during this difficult time was his willingness to kneel.  

Kneeling to pray is what gives us the strength to stand.  

Now let’s be clear, what gave Daniel the strength to stand strong and pray during this time was that he had been kneeling to pray, three times a day, for years.  Daniel didn’t go out now and make a public show of his faith, he simply did what he had always been doing.  It says he prayed just as he had done before.  His practice was to kneel down to pray, and it was a lifetime of prayer that gave Daniel the ability to now stand strong.  

What gave Jesus the strength to stand strong and not only carry a cross but be willing to die on it?  It was a time of prayer on his knees in the Garden of Gethsemane.  One of the most moving places I visited in Israel was that garden, really a grove of olive trees.  From the garden you can see the walls of Jerusalem in one direction and the wilderness in the other.  Jesus had a decision to make that night.  He knew Judas was coming to betray him.  He knew they were coming to arrest him and that he would be tried, publicly humiliated, and put to death.  Jesus could stand strong in his faith, go to Jerusalem, or he could flee to the wilderness.  The choices literally laid before him.  He kneeled down to pray and it was during that prayer that Jesus resolved to stand strong and carry the cross.  

But that decision didn’t come because Jesus prayed just in that moment, it came because Jesus had spent a lifetime in prayer.  Jesus prayed for 40 days after his baptism, He created moments to be alone to pray, and His prayer life was so engaging that His disciples asked Him how they could pray.  Prayer was an ongoing part of Jesus’ life, and it was a lifetime of kneeling to pray that gave Jesus the strength to stand.  

Tomorrow we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, and King was a man who stood strong in the face of persecution and trials.  Through death threats and violence directed at himself and his family, King stood strong and many have said that his ability to stand came from his willingness to kneel in prayer.  During the Montgomery bus boycotts, which were early in King’s life as a civil rights leader, he faced great opposition and persecution from all sides.  He was ready to quit when he sat down and prayed:  

Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right.  Now, I am afraid. And I can’t let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.  

In her book, Standing in the Need of Prayer, Coretta Scott King said, When Martin stood up from the table, he was imbued with a new sense of confidence, and he was ready to face anything.  Kneeling to pray, and acknowledging our own weakness and our own need for God, is often the door that leads to the strength to stand.  

It wasn’t that one prayer that gave King strength, it was a lifetime of prayer.  Prayer can’t be seen as our last resort when we are in trouble, but the practice of a lifetime that can give us strength.  Prayer is one of the rhythms that deepens our relationship with God and it helps us be able to hear God when He calls us to stand out, stand up, or stand strong.  Last week we talked about how important it is to hear God’s voice when we feel called to stand up, and prayer is a big part of hearing that voice.  

Daniel knelt down to pray, but that is just one way we can practice prayer in our lives.  Prayer can be done as we walk, as we sing, as we read, or as we practice silence.  Prayer can be written in journals, be voiced sitting at a table, turned into art, and shared with family and friends.  If you are looking for some new ways to pray, I invite you to check out the next steps this week and not only read about prayer, but consider how to make prayer an ongoing part of your life.  Allow your conversation with God to literally overflow into every area of your life so that when the time comes you will be able to stand strong.  

If in our time of prayer we hear God telling us to stand strong, we then need to trust God with the results.  

Daniel knelt to pray three times a day.  He may have prayed for God to change the heart of the king and take back the decree.  He may have prayed for God to deliver him from the coming evil.  Daniel didn’t know the results when he knelt down to pray, but he did know that he could trust God. Daniel 6:13-24

Daniel trusted God for the results.  He didn’t know if God would rescue him, or how God might rescue him, and it may not have mattered to Daniel, he just knew that he needed to stand strong and trust God.  That is what Daniel did, and God delivered him.  We don’t know how God closed the mouths of the lions, we don’t know what the angel of the Lord looked like, and I can’t imagine that Daniel spent a peaceful night cuddled up with a lion, but the lions did not harm Daniel.  

Jesus left the Garden of Gethsemane and trusted God for the results.  Standing strong wasn’t going to mean no pain and no persecution, but Jesus trusted God for the results, and three days after His death, Jesus rose victorious over sin and death.  His trust in God, and his willingness to stand strong, not only delivered Him, but all of us.  

Standing strong in our faith doesn’t mean that everything will always work out the way we want it to, and it doesn’t mean life will be easy.  Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den without knowing the results.  Jesus was nailed to the cross trusting God for a resurrection.  There will be times when God might call us to stand strong without knowing the results.  What can help us trust God and stand strong is a lifetime of kneeling down to pray.  It’s not too late.  A lifetime of prayer can start today.  Let us pray.

Next Steps

Stand Strong

Read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den found in Daniel 6.

● What new insights do you see?  

● What would you do in Daniel’s situation?

● What example from Daniel can you follow?

Kneeling to pray is what gives us the strength to stand.

Prayer is one of the 5 Rhythms that can strengthen our Relationship with God.  Learn more about prayer, and different ways to practice prayer, from our http://bellefontefaith.com/prayatfaith.  

● When has prayer helped you stand strong in faith during a difficult time?

● How can you strengthen your prayer life so you can stand strong both today and into the future?

● How can prayer become part of your family life?

Trust God for the results.

● Daniel stood strong without knowing the results.  A harrowing night in a lion’s den led to his deliverance.

● Jesus stood strong without knowing the results.  A harrowing three hours on the cross and three days in the grave led to our deliverance.  

● Where are you needing to stand strong without knowing the results?  Even if the situation is not easy, how might God deliver you?  

● When have you trusted God with an unknown future or during a difficult time?  What did you learn?  How was God with you?  How did God deliver you?  

To learn more about the 3 Relationships and how to stand strong in faith, go to https://bellefontefaith.com/3r.  You can take the free assessment and find resources to help you stand strong in your faith.  

Stand Up

Last week we started a series called STAND so that we can consider how to stand with God and for God during this New Year.  We are learning lessons from Daniel in the Old Testament, and today we are going to look at how to STAND UP for what is right.  I should let you know that I did not plan for this topic to come up this week, and with the events that took place on Wednesday, I considered dropping this message all together, but then I realized that Daniel actually does have something to say to us in light of our current situation.  

We aren’t going to learn from Daniel when to stand up for what is right because God is going to ask each of us to do that in different ways and at different times.  God might want you to stand up and say something privately to a friend who is blind to a problem in their life, or God might want you to speak to a larger issue that needs to be addressed in our community and world.  There are different times and places when we will be asked to stand up, what we can learn from Daniel is how to stand up when God asks us to.  

It’s important to know how God wants us to stand up because what we saw this week is how NOT to do it.  God’s ways are not filled with arrogance, pride, and a hatred that leads to violence.  God’s ways are filled with humility and work for reconciliation and peace.  If the fruit of God’s spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, then those qualities need to be seen when we stand up, and we will see these at work in Daniel.  What we can learn from Daniel are four principles of how to stand up for what is right when God asks us to.

If you remember from last week, the nation of Israel had been destroyed, and King Nebuchadnezzar had forced God’s people into exile all across Babylon.  The finest young men in Israel, those who might one day rise up to be leaders of the nation, were forced into the king’s service and indoctrinated into the Babylonian culture and religion.  The goal was to get these young men to renounce God and leave their faith so that they would never be able to help rebuild the nation.  Daniel was part of this group of leaders, and while he was indoctrinated into the culture of Babylon, he was willing to stand out for his faith and not eat food that had been sacrificed to the pagan gods.  Because Daniel honored God, God honored him.  God gave Daniel greater wisdom and discernment than any other leader, and God gave him the ability to interpret dreams, and this is now how God is going to ask Daniel to stand up. 

Daniel 4:4-7, 10-18a

So the king had a dream and let’s be honest, it doesn’t take a genius, or even an expert in dream analysis, to figure it out.  We can do this.  A tree that is large and powerful and provides a place for all to live is clearly the nation of Babylon.  A messenger from heaven would be the message of God who says he is going to cut down the tree, or destroy the nation, and drive the king into the wilderness.  If we can figure this out, then chances are that all the wise men the king first asked for help could have figured it out as well.  They knew what the dream meant, they just didn’t want to tell the king because they didn’t want to be the ones to give him the bad news.  They were afraid that to stand up and tell the truth would cost them their lives, so they simply said, “we can’t do it.”  

So then Daniel is called in.  Daniel was known for having the gift of interpreting dreams, and when he hears the dream he has to immediately know what it means because it is plain to see.  The real question for Daniel was whether or not he was going to stand up and tell the king the truth.  Like the wise men before him, he could lie and tell the king that he couldn’t interpret the dream, or he could stand up and speak God’s truth.  Daniel stood up for what was right, and from him we can learn a lot about how to do this ourselves. Daniel 4:19-27

We believe that Daniel is about 40 years old here, which means that for several decades Daniel has been serving the king.  Daniel is trusted and he has been so helpful that the king had made him second in command.  The king trusted Daniel’s wisdom and insight.  He knew Daniel was honest in his counsel and honorable in his living.  There is a strong relationship between these two men which allows Daniel to speak courageously and honestly.  What we see here is that CONTEXT is important.  

Anytime God asks us to stand up for what is right, it is important for us to think about the context.  Are we speaking privately to a friend who is going through a difficult time?  Are we speaking to a family member whose behavior concerns us?  Or are we speaking publicly about a social issue that is complex, or an injustice we want to see changed?  The context is important because we will speak in different ways in different situations.  

Beyond the public and private context, there is also the context of relationship for us to consider.  Too often we see people stand up and speak out without any regard for others.  I decided to read the comments from an online article this week and I have to say it was pretty toxic - which is I why I don’t usually read them.  Here were anonymous people standing up for what they thought was right but in the process they were tearing down others - people they didn’t know.  There was no context of relationship.  There was no willingness to listen or consider what others were saying or thinking or feeling.  We are living in an age when people can quickly and easily stand up and speak out for what they think is right without giving thought to a larger context or how their words and actions might impact others.  

What a blessing it would be if all of us would take the time to walk in someone else’s shoes for a while before we comment on what we think they should do.  The more we can understand people, and listen to their life experiences and perspectives, the more thoughtful and helpful we can be when we do stand up and speak up for what is right.  It is always more powerful when we stand up within the context of a healthy relationship or at least after taking the time to listen.  Respect and regard for others is needed. 

This leads us to the second thing we learn from Daniel.  When Daniel stands up for what is right, he does it with COMPASSION.  

Before Daniel gives the king the bad news about the dream, he starts by saying that he wished the dream was about the king’s enemies and not him.  Daniel cared for the king.  Think about this, the king had destroyed Daniel’s nation, removed Daniel and all his family and friends from their homes and nation, and was indoctrinating Daniel with the goal of getting him to forget his God and renounce his faith, and yet Daniel still had compassion for him.  

Compassion is an important principle for us to hold on to when God calls us to stand up for what is right.  Compassion is the fruit of love, patience, kindness and gentleness all rolled into one.  Compassion helps us have self-control so we don’t say the first thing we think of.  We always need to stand up with compassion.  We may disagree on many things, and we may see things from a radically different points of view, we also might see vastly different ways to solve the world’s problem, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have compassion for one another.  

When we look at the social and political climate today, it’s clear there is not much compassion.  We didn’t see compassion this week, we haven’t seen a lot of compassion this past year, and if we are honest, we haven’t seen it for a long time.  We no longer disagree with people, we set them up to be our enemy and seek to silence them and destroy them.  Here’s the problem with that, Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  In many ways, Nebuchadnezzar was Daniel’s enemy, but Daniel still had compassion for him.  If we can’t stand up for what is right with compassion, then maybe we need to consider if we should stand up at all.  

Daniel’s compassion was also seen when he pleaded with the king to repent so that God might have mercy and turn things around.  This is the kind of compassion we need to have when we approach a friend about problems we might see in their life.  It’s ok to approach someone about a sin we might see, or a problem that concerns us, but our motivation has to be love, and our words have to be gentle.  

The Apostle Paul said, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.  Galatians 6:1.   Yes we need to stand up for what is right and say something, but we need to say it in the context of a healthy relationship and allow our words to be filled with love.  

This leads to the third principle we learn from Daniel. We don’t stand up to CORRECT people but to CONNECT people to God.  Let me say that again!

Daniel didn’t speak up because he knew he was right about the dream, he spoke with compassion to try and get the king to humble himself and connect with God.  He was working to reconcile the king to God.  He was working to bring peace.  Here is a good question we need to ask ourselves in any situation where we think God is asking us to stand up for what is right: will what I’m going to say or do help CONNECT people to God?  

This is most important when we are thinking about speaking to someone one to one. We don’t point out a problem to correct them, we point it out to help connect them to God.  If we see a problem and can’t wait to point it out because it will make us look good, or show others how smart and faithful we are, that’s called pride - not compassion - and Jesus spoke to this.  Jesus said, don’t point out the speck of dust in someone else’s eye when there is a plank sticking out of your own eye.  If we are speaking up without compassion, that plank in our own eye is pride, and we need to step back and evaluate our own heart.  We need to ask ourselves, is my desire to correct this person or to connect this person to God.  

Daniel’s desire was to connect the king to God.  He wanted the king to humble himself so he would know the love and power of God.  Daniel spoke in the context of a relationship, he spoke with compassion, and his goal was to connect the king to God.  

There is one final thing for us to consider.  Are we being CALLED to stand up for what is right.  Daniel was literally called by the king to come and speak to the problem.  Once Daniel was called by the king to speak, he had to ask if he was called by God to speak.  Daniel could have just interpreted the dream and left it at that, but he didn’t.  He knew he was called by God to stand up for what was right and to speak with compassion and work to connect the king to God through repentance.  

Before we speak publicly about an issue or privately about a concern we have for a friend, we need to first stop and pray.  Is God calling us to stand up?  If God is not calling us to stand up, then maybe we need to work quietly and prayerfully behind the scenes and support those God has called.  Maybe our role is to support someone else, or work to bring context and compassion to the situation.  Maybe God will use us to try and connect everyone in the situation to God and not just watch people argue back and forth about what is right.  Knowing what God has called us to do is vital and we might want to make this our first step and not the last.   

There is a hymn that has become a favorite for many people called Here I Am Lord and the chorus asks this very question.  Here I am Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard you calling in the night.  I will go, Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.  

Is it I, Lord?  Are you calling me to stand up for what is right?  Is this the cause I am to champion?  Is this the situation I am being called to step into with courage and compassion?  If we are being called to stand up for what is right, if we are being called to speak up for God, then we need to ask to lead us.  All around us we see how not to stand up for what is right.  More division and anger is not the answer, the answer is more compassion, a deeper context and healthier relationships in which to speak, and goal of connecting all of us to God.   

Next Steps

Stand Up

From social media to the streets, we see many examples of how NOT to stand up for what is right.  Let us pray for the “soul” of our nation, so that we all might learn how to stand up in ways that honor God and one another.  

Raad Daniel chapter 4.

What was Daniel being called to stand up and do? What was the king calling him to do?  What was God calling him to do?  How is the fruit of God’s spirit seen in Daniel’s words and actions?  

Four principles we learn from Daniel about how to stand up.

1. CALLED.  

● When have you experienced God’s call to stand up for what is right?  

● Is there a situation right now that you are feeling called to address?  Ask God to show you your purpose and lead you in the process of standing up.  

2. CONTEXT

● Where do you need to reach out and build healthier relationships so that you can stand up more effectively?

● Whose shoes do you need to walk in so you get a better understanding of different viewpoints?

3. COMPASSION

● When have you not stood up with compassion?  What were the consequences?  

● When has someone stood up to you with compassion?  How did that make you feel?  Did it change the situation?

● Where do you need to have more compassion and show more compassion to others?

4. CONNECTION

● Ask God to guard your heart from pride so you don’t seek to correct people but connect people to God.  

● Who do you know that needs to be connected to God?  How can you pray for them and reach out to them with compassion this week?  

Stand Out

Can we just give a big shout out to the New Year we are in!!  I don’t think the world has ever been more ready to see one year end and another year begin.  Here’s to 2021!!!  At the beginning of every year we have the opportunity to make a commitment to improve not only our lives but our world.  I am not a big fan of making New Year’s resolutions because I know that by now, January 3rd, I will probably have broken them, but there is something exciting about the New Year.  I see it as a clean slate where we can write out the life we want to live.  The New Year provides us the possibility of being all we want to be, but it takes courage and commitment to live with conviction.  To help inspire us to live this way this year, we are going to look at some stories of courage and commitment found in the book of Daniel. 

 In this OT book, we hear about Daniel and 3 friends who chose to stand up to honor God.  Through all kinds of challenges, they stood strong and firm in their faith, and because they did, their world was changed.  Before they stand up, or stand strong, or stand firm, they first have to make the decision to stand out.  As we begin a New Year, can we make the choice to stand out in the world around us.  Can we be the light shining in the darkness?  Can we be the power of love in a world filled with hate and division?   

 Living for Jesus means standing out and at times looking different because the values of God’s kingdom are different than the values of the world.  Jesus stood out among other religious leaders of his day because he loved and accepted people that others wouldn’t.  He went places that other leaders wouldn’t go.  He worked for justice and called for forgiveness.  He stood out and because he did, people were drawn to him.  The disciples and the early church stood out and their lives of love and faith drew people in.  It is my hope that in this New Year we will choose to stand out with Jesus so that the world might be drawn not to us but to Him.  

David mentioned last week that we don’t love people to win them to Jesus, we love them to love them.  I read the same thing this week in a devotional by Bob Goff.  He said, No one leads people to Jesus.  He leads people to himself.  All the pressure is off.  All we have to do is give away all the love He’s poured into us.  So all we have to do is love like Jesus, love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourself, but that kind of loving and living will cause us to stand out in this world.  

Daniel and his friends stood out because they wanted to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.  The story begins in 589 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began a siege of Jerusalem.  For more than a year he blockaded the city so the people of Israel could not get supplies.  This not only destroyed their strength, but it deflated their morale.  They had given up hope.  Two years later, the walls of Jerusalem fell and Nebuchadnezzar began to destroy all the religious symbols in the Temple.  He thought if he could put an end to the religious life of the people, the nation would not be able to regroup and rebuild. 

Nebuchadnezzar also wanted to destroy any hope of Israel rising up in the future so he not only forced the people to leave their homes and settle all across Babylon, he also took the best young men who might one day be leaders in Israel and forced them to enter into his service.  This is where the book of Daniel begins.  Daniel 1:3-6

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 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. 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. Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The plan was to fully indoctrinate these young men into the Babylonian culture so that they would completely let go of their faith.  By surrounding them with the Babylonian language, literature, history, traditions, gods, and people, the king hoped that these young men would eventually lose their love for God and let go of their faith.  In trying to change their identity, the king also changed their names.  Daniel 1:7.  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 

The power of this name change wasn’t just that they would now have Babylonian names, the king was trying to disconnect them from their God and connect them to the gods of Babylon.  Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were all names that referenced the God of Israel.  For example, Hannaniah means God has been gracious and Azariah means God has helped us.  Their old names connected them to their God, but their new names referenced the Babylonian gods.  Shadrach means command of Aku, who was the Babylonian moon god, and Abednego means servant of Nebo who was the Babylonian god of wisdom.  So now anytime someone called them, instead of being reminded of the one true God, they were reminded of the new pagan gods they were being told to follow.  The King’s plan was to undermine their faith in God.  

Not only were they given new names, but we heard earlier that they were given a new diet.  They were now to eat only from the king’s table, and while this sounds great because it would be all the best food, the problem was that it was also food that had been sacrificed to the gods of Babylon.  Not only did Nebuchadnezzar want them physically strong, he wanted them to honor, and in some way worship, his god.  

All these changes were part of the process of indoctrination and if Daniel and his friend were going to stand strong in their faith, then at some point they were going to have to stand out.  At some point they were going to draw a line and separate themselves from the those around us and it was with the food that Daniel made a stand.  

Daniel 1:8 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.  

It’s interesting to think about why Daniel made a stand on the food and not on the name.  While we aren’t given any reason, it’s easy to hear Daniel say, look, you can call me whatever you want, it doesn't matter because I know who I am, and I know who I belong to.  I belong to God and no name will change that, but I will NOT defile myself by eating food sacrificed to your god.  I won’t honor or worship your god in any way.  So Daniel resolved not to eat the food, and what’s important to note is that he made this decision ahead of time.

Daniel didn’t wait for the food to be placed in front of him hoping he would have the strength to not eat it, he made a plan ahead of time so that the temptation wouldn’t even be there.  Daniel went to the officials and asked them to let them keep eating their own food and if they were not in better shape than the others, they would eat the king’s food.  How smart was Daniel to make a plan ahead of time?  He didn’t wait until they were at the table where they would be tempted by all the best food, he removed the temptation and worked out a plan that needed them to trust God.   If we want to stand strong in our faith we need to learn how to stand out and make plans ahead of time so that we can be faithful.  

What plans do you need to make today so that you can stand out and stand strong in the New Year?  If you want to commit to worshiping every week, then make a plan today to make it happen.  Don’t wait until next Sunday and hope you feel like attending, put it on your calendar and a reminder or notification on your phone.  If you want to read through the Bible this year, download a reading plan today and join me in making it happen.  I chose the 5 day plan because I know something might happen one or two days a week when I won’t be able to read and I don’t want to feel like a failure before I start. 

If you want to improve your marriage, make a plan now for date nights, quiet times alone, and space for important conversations, and then make it happen.  If you want to be a better parent, a better student, a better musician or athlete, then make a plan now so that when temptation comes to pull you away from your goals and dreams you will be able to stand strong.  

When Daniel made a plan to stand strong in his faith, he knew that he was going to stand out from those around him.  Remember, there were many young men in this program, but only these 4 took a stand.  Daniel and his friends were going to be seen as different, but it was what they needed to do to be faithful.  Faithfulness was more important than fitting in.  

As we make plans to stand strong in our faith, we have to be ready to stand out because our decisions and commitments will make us look different from those around us. If we make the decision to not gossip at work but only allow our words to encourage and lift others up, we will stand out when the stories begin and we excuse ourselves and walk away.  If we carve out time to be part of a small group, and share with our friends the joy we are finding being part of the church, we will stand out.  In a world that calls us to conform, it is difficult to stand out.  It’s not always easy being the light in darkness but it is worth it.  It changes us and it inspires others.      

I spent a summer working in Rocky Mountain National Park and I was there with a ministry program that called us to be the light of Jesus among our coworkers.  Every evening, most of my coworkers went to the bars to drink.  At first I didn’t go because I didn’t want to drink every night and watch people get drunk, but I soon found myself sitting alone.  I realized I was never going to shine the light of Jesus if I didn’t go with them.  So I went out but I resolved ahead of time to not get drunk.  I would go and hang out, I would talk and dance, but would not get drunk.  That often meant I walked home alone when things got out of hand, but I had made that decision ahead of time and while I stood out, I was able to stick to it.  

All summer I simply tried to love God and love people the best I could.  I knew I stood out and I hoped that people were seeing Jesus in me, but I honestly didn’t know.  At the end of the summer, one of the women I worked with who did drink a lot most nights was leaving and she wrote notes to everyone.  Mine said this, don’t let anyone change you.  I was stunned.  I had no idea she even noticed me, let alone noticed how I lived differently.  I didn't make a big deal out of the choices I made, and I didn’t put anyone down or condemn the choices they made, I just lived out my faith the best way I could and tried to love the people around me, and at least one person noticed.  At least one person experienced a little bit of Jesus’ light in the darkness.    

Following Jesus, shining the light of Christ in the world, loving God and loving others the way God calls us to means we will stand out.  Where do you need to resolve today to stand out?  At work?  At school?  Among your family or friends?  Do you need to decide now how to more faithfully use your time or money in this New Year?  Make the decision today even if it means standing out from those around you.  Honor God and allow God to honor you and use you to shine His light into the world.  That’s what happened with Daniel and his friends.  Daniel 1:17-20

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.  At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.  The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.  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.

To honor God, Daniel and his friends made a decision to be faithful, which called them to stand out from the rest.  When they did this, God honored them.  How is God calling you to honor Him?  What plan do you need to make so that you can remain faithful?  Make the plan today because being faithful to God often means standing out from those around us, and standing out is difficult in a world that calls us to conform.  Make a plan today to be the light of God in this dark world.  Make a plan to love God and love others in a clear and intentional way, and then trust that as you stand out, God will honor you with His strength, and power, and peace and use you for His glory.  

Next Steps

Stand Out

How have you welcomed 2021?  

What do you want to see changed in your life this year?  

What plans have you made to make this change happen?

What plans do you need to make?

Read Daniel 1

How did Daniel and his friends choose to stand out?  

● Why do you think they chose to stand out when it came to their diet but not to their new names?  

● What did their old names mean?  New names?

● What would have happened if they chose to blend in?

When and how have you chosen to stand out for your faith?

● What difference did it make in you?  Iin others?

● Did anyone notice?  If they did or didn’t, how did this make you feel?  

When have you seen someone else stand out for their faith?

● How did this make you feel? 

● Did they do it for show or for God?

● Did it make a difference?

Where can you make a plan to stand out this year and deepen your faith?  

● Worship?  Serving Others?  Financial Giving?

● Join Pastor Andy and read the Bible in 2021.  Here is the 5 day plan: https://fivedaybiblereading.com/

For further study, read about the full armor of God that can help us stand strong in faith.  Ephesians 6:10-18