Calling All Daniels!
Daniel is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. If you’ve never taken the time to read the book of Daniel I would encourage you to take the time to do it. If I was to characterize the theme of the book of Daniel, I would have to say it is mainly about the power of prayer and the resolve of true believers to stand against sin regardless of the cost. These truths are seen clearly in the life of Daniel and his friends. Here’s a litle background on the book.
The book of Daniel contains the memoirs of a young Jewish captive taken to Babylon in 605 B.C. Daniel, along with other teeangers from the Judean nobility were being trained for jobs as civil servants in King Nebuchadnezzar’s administration. The book of Daniel contains many lessons for the life of the believer. Most importantly, Daniel’s life illustrates the power of prayer, and how to live by faith in a hostile society bent on defying the one true God. This amazing book spans Daniel’s 70-year career as a high government official in a governmental system that continuously ignored God’s commands despite the overwhelming evidence against the existence of “other gods.” Over and over, through Daniel and others, God proved His supremacy with signs and wonders, but to no avail. The King and his closest advisors would not worship the one true God and Him alone. Does this sound familiar? Would you not agree that we are living in a generation that overwhelmingly sees God’s supremacy and yet refuses to abandon its simple minded idolatry? I ask myself…Where are the Daniels of this generation, who are willing to be thrown into fiery furnaces and lion’s dens because their God is as real to them as their own breathing?
I believe with all my heart that there are Daniels out there in this generation. More and more, we are seeing a rising up of young men and women who really get it. There is a growing sense that God is raising up a new crop of disciples who will not give in to the pattern of this world, but will resolve to be transformed by the life and person of Jesus Christ. Are you one of them? I’m still working on it…I long to be able to say as the apostle Paul said with such confidence, “Immitate me as I immitate Christ.” I would love to have said of me as the King’s advisors said of Daniel, “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
Let’s be honest about something. We, as a society, can be very indecisive. Coke or Pepsi? Oh, you want Sprite you say? Burger or Taco? Chicken or steak? Do you prefer fish? Stay home or go out? Should I wear this shirt or the other shirt? Don’t even mention shoes…get the picture? It seems we’ve been given so many options in today’s culture that we think we have options when it comes to God as well. I hate to break it to you, but God is not a value meal and you can’t trade any of the side items. We need to learn to make up our minds concerning God as Daniel did. In the first chapter of the book of Daniel, verse 8, it says, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine…” Please understand…I am not talking about eating and drinking in this blog. It goes much deeper than that. Let me explain.
As a Jew, Daniel was bound to the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Daniel would not, under any circumstances, adopt the diet of the Babylonians. Now, let’s forget for a moment that we are talking about food and wine offered to a nice Jewish young man in 600 B.C. Instead, let’s transmit this scenario to 2009. For the sake of argument let’s say that the king of Daniel’s day is the worldly pattern of this generation and let us also say that the royal food and wine that Daniel rejected are the temporary pleasures (sin) that are offered to us daily. Can we say, like Daniel, that we have resolved not to defile ourselves with meaningless sin offered by this lost generation? Listen, before you think that I’m preaching at you, I want you to know that I am preaching to myself first. I certainly have not yet attained Daniel status in my journey as a Christ follower, but it is my desire. It is also my desire for you. The transformation of this lost generation depends on it and the hope of the next generation hangs in the balance. This is a call to all Daniels everywhere to rise up and resolve to NOT defile ourselves with whatever this culture may offer in place of righteousness and holiness. It could mean that we will have to experience some cultural fiery furnaces and lion’s dens, but it is also true that we will experience God’s power to save.
