Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

(Daniel 3:17-18)

Daniel

In this chapter Satan follows another tactic to draw the Jews away from God. A clever tactic which he had already applied frequently with success - that of compromise.

What kind of compromise?

To believe in God but also to worship other gods. In the morning pray to God and in the afternoon kneel before idols. By allowing such a compromise you can maintain your social and financial standing. That is what the majority of Jews thought anyway.

Only three refused.

They knew that any form of compromise was nothing less than a denial of their faith in the one, true God. The other Jews concluded that one must give and take in life, that it would be foolish and too spiritual to risk a good career and position. In addition, through compromise, much could be attained. Their point of view was that you must know how to separate work from religion.

For the three friends of Daniel every form of compromise meant giving in to Satan himself. Therefore they refused, although they knew that by doing so they risked death in the fiery furnace. They would rather die for God, than live with the devil.

The tactic of compromise is always wielded by Satan, in the Suffering Church as well as in our prosperous society.

Will you kneel or stand?

'Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand' (Ephesians 6:13).

[Judy Harder]

They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

(Daniel 3:27)

Daniel

All's well that ends well. Yes, it is so in Daniel chapter 3. But this does not mean that God will always protect all Christians from sorrow and suffering. The Bible exhorts us to prepare for more suffering. The fiery furnace will always keep burning. Think about the stone ovens of Egypt, where the Israelites endured much suffering. Think about the Christians going to the stake, or the silence of the prisons and concentration camps in Russia and China. The Christians in Islamic countries are continually confronted with the 'fiery furnaces' of hanging and decapitation. The Bible warns us that the Church of the future will face the fiery furnace again.

All's well that ends well? The opposite seems to happen. And yet ... the fire from the furnace did not burn the men. The only things which were consumed were the ropes with which they were bound, enabling them to walk around freely in the fire. We have not been spared from the fire, but the flames will only consume that which is to be removed from our lives.

Flames of blessing - they only burn what must be destroyed so that we may be free, truly free.

[Judy Harder]

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 6:5)

Daniel

When Darius planned to introduce Daniel as vice-president it led to great dissatisfaction by the other leaders of the people. Daniel - as their boss? That must never happen. They began to plan their revenge to dethrone Daniel. The tactic was simple. To find a complaint against him concerning his work. But it was not that easy. Daniel was very fair and very honorable and they had not expected this. They anticipated that Daniel would have been like many other believers whose words and deeds were not the same. Spending Sundays in church but for the rest of the week just going on like the world - business is business. Life with two measuring rods? That is what they expected from Daniel.

But they had it all wrong, for there lived an 'excellent spirit' in Daniel. They quickly discovered that they 'never could find any basis for charges against this man,' because 'he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.' What a witness.

Then it seemed as if there was one more trap. What for many Christians can be the first trap, was for Daniel the last - his faith ... 'unless it has something to do with the law of his God.'

In God's children today there also lives an 'excellent spirit', the Holy Spirit.

Is He at work in our lives only on a Sunday, or also during the week?

Have your colleagues at work discovered that yet?

[Judy Harder]

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room... he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

(Daniel 6:10)

Daniel

This text forms the climax of Satan's attack on God's people.

It began with a trick (chapter 1), followed by compromise (chapter 3) and now comes the climax; all contact with God is forbidden. Prayer must become silenced. Folded hands are an atrocity in the eyes of Satan.

Prayer has been well named the breath of the soul. If the breath is cut off you automatically die - this also applies to the spiritual life. Daniel had already fought with the lions when there was no lion to be seen. The roaring lion crept up on Daniel in his private room - not in the lions den. When Daniel was thrown to the visible lions he had already wrestled with the invisible lion and... won. Therefore the visible lions in the den were unable to do anything to Daniel, for there was no more 'flesh' on him. Do we see the tactic of Satan - he who goes round as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? The contact with God must always be there. Praying Christians are a danger to the powers of darkness. God is seeking such pray-ers.

'Lord, teach us to pray.'

[Judy Harder]

When the prophet Nathan comes to David to confront him with his sin, David collapses. He realizes his sin, confesses his guilt and repents deeply.

How will God react to this sin? And to such a prayer?

David hopes for, and trusts, in God's grace. 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise' (Psalm 51:17).

David

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
(Psalm 51:1-3,9-13)

[Judy Harder]

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
(1 John 5:19)

Hristo Kulichev

We live in a world which is controlled by the enemy of God. And because we have become children of God, we also have become enemies of the wicked one. His goal is to destroy our souls. It makes no difference how he tries to do that - persecution or oppression; flattery or compromise; vanity or prosperity. The method is unimportant - the end result counts. Satan knows that Christians will not give up their belief in God. That is - true Christians will not. Nominal Christians easily will. We should ask ourselves again and again, "Am I living under the control of Satan - or does God control my life? I know I am His child - do I live likewise?"

Being a child of God, I should never make friendship with the world. 'Friendship with the world is hatred towards God' (James 4:4). Friendship starts with compromise - and leads to slavery. The Christian life is not a life of compromise and slavery, but of steadfastness and freedom. 'For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith' (1 John 5:4).

"For He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world' (1 John 4:4). 'Have faith in God' (Mark 11:22).

[Judy Harder]

I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
(2 Corinthians 12:10)

Hristo Kulichev

These words sound strange, if not foolish in the ears of carnal man. People seek happiness and pleasure. Who wants to find that in suffering? Is it possible that someone could be happy in infirmities, in reproaches, in persecution or insults? Those who seek fulfillment of life in pleasure will always be dissatisfied. But when the meaning of life is serving Christ, then everything we do or endure will give us pleasure. Whether we are reproached or persecuted, we will rejoice because through it we can show our love for Him. And this would be the greatest pleasure for us. It will be a pleasure for us when people reproach us, or call us old-fashioned, or when they mock at us because we do not conform to this world. Any attack by the devil will be considered as a mark of true discipleship.

We delight in weakness. We accept the fact that we seem to be most vulnerable, but we claim God's promise - 'When I am weak, then I am strong' (2 Corinthians 12:10). Because 'My power is made perfect in weakness' (2 Corinthians 12:9). The weaker we are - the stronger He becomes. The more helpless we feel - the greater Helper He becomes. What a mighty God we serve!

[Judy Harder]

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us but to your name give glory.
(Psalm 115:1)

Hristo Kulichev

Sometimes we get selfish in our faith. We want God to arrange our life in such a way that we will be able to live happily and comfortably. We are always thinking of our own comfort and that God is obliged to provide for it. We want Him to supply our needs (and we have plenty of them!) in such a way that we will experience pleasure in life.

But God doesn't act that way. When Joseph was in prison he wanted to get out of that place as soon as possible. But God did not answer his prayer right away. He delayed his answer in order to give glory to His own name (Genesis 41:28). Martha and Mary wanted Jesus to come quickly and heal their brother Lazarus, but Jesus did not come right away. Was He not aware of their need and prayer request? Oh yes He was - but He waited in order to glorify God's name (John 11). As long as we want things for our own pleasure - He will wait and not answer our prayers. God wants to glorify His name.

'You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.'

Are our motives right? Are our priorities right? That teaches us to pray:

'Father, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done.'

Such a prayer will always be answered. To His glory - and that gives us the greatest pleasure.

[Judy Harder]

Your will be done.
(Matthew 26:42)

Hristo Kulichev

There are many believers who put their desires before God's will. They expect that God will satisfy their whims and wishes. God did it for Hezekiah, didn't He?

God's will for Hezekiah was, 'Put your house in order.' Instead of obeying God's will, Hezekiah pleaded with God to let him live a bit longer. God answered his prayer and added fifteen more years to his life because Hezekiah had followed the Lord with his whole heart. But the extra fifteen years were not a blessing. Not for Hezekiah, nor for his family or his nation. It was during those extra years that Hezekiah made a terrible mistake (2 Kings 20:12) showing all his possessions and riches to visitors from Babylon. God was not honored. Hezekiah was exalted - not God.

Let us be sons and daughters of the living God whose pleasure it is to do the will of the Father instead of God having to please us.

The greatest blessing for us is not when God satisfies all our desires, but when we obey His will. Then we will find real joy and full pleasure in our complete obedience to God.

[Judy Harder]

Man shall not live by bread alone...
(Matthew 4:4)

Hristo Kulichev

God teaches us to pray for our daily bread - but He doesn't say that we have to think only about our daily bread. The struggle for bread is called 'struggle for life'. People are willing to make all kinds of compromises in order to receive bread. When I was put in prison there was hardly any food. When they gave us the prisoner's uniforms, one boy complained that his trousers were too tight. The supervisor said: 'Don't worry, very soon they will become loose.'

I knew what would follow. Every day I prayed, 'Lord, you fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes. Only a little crumb is enough for me Lord, please give it to me.' I then realized that God can meet our needs in two ways.

1         He can give us what we need; or

2         He can set us free from what we consider a need.

God did not give me more bread. But he set me free from the feeling of hunger. I always felt satisfied. I never felt hungry - and bread and salt turned out to be a delicious meal for me.

When we trust the word which proceeds from the mouth of God we will never suffer want.