Today’s Reading, Daniel 1-3
Focal Scripture: Daniel 3:18 “But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.””
Having faith makes a world of difference. When you have faith there is a belief that something will happen, even when there seems to be no way. It is a belief that what you can’t see in the moment will come to pass. It becomes a conviction that something greater is on the horizon no matter the outcome. Faith is needed to make it through our lives. The interesting fact is that everyone has faith in something. It doesn’t matter if it is God, themselves, or just that things happen.
In today’s reading we see Daniel and his friends have a faith that is unshakable. A faith that is powerful. A faith that is not dependent on a positive outcome. They were commanded to worship the statue when they heard the music. However, they refused to do so because it went against their beliefs. It violated the scriptures. The faithful part of this exchange happens when they acknowledge that God can deliver them if he chooses, but if he doesn’t, they still won’t worship a false God. Their faith was in God and not on the outcome.
We have much to learn from this account. In our western world faith is often attributed to getting what we want. We are told if you have enough faith then this will happen. If you have enough faith this will succeed. We are rarely told that our faith should be anchored in God’s sovereignty. Here these young men know that God can save them if he chooses. Their faith goes beyond what they want to happen. Their faith is applied to the character and majesty of God. They have faith in the creator not in what he can do for them personally.
So that is the challenge we all face today. Where does your faith rest? Does it rest only on what you want to happen or does it rest in the Lord of heaven and earth? A true biblical faith takes the Lord words to heart and trusts his will. Biblical faith prays that his will be done not ours. A mature faith trust that no matter what happens God is good. This means whether it means being saved from your enemies or being defeated. It is a faith that trust the positive outcomes and the negative outcomes just the same.
Our faith must be bold like we see demonstrated here. God is faithful if he delivers and God is faithful if he doesn’t. Our faith is not in the outcomes but the Lord who reigns.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Daniel 4-6
