Daniel Trusted God
Faith is seeing Life the way only God sees Life and then acting on what only God sees. Daniel was different because of his faith. And God wants you to show a different Life only God can give.
Daniel was exiled to the nation of Babylon. This culture was far from God. This would b like any of our teenagers being taken and put into Iraq or Iran.
And he is going to be trained in the culture and ways of Babylon. Training as a good religious teenager in the ways of the nation ruthlessly taking over the world.
Except God told his people to willingly submit and allow this exile and go into Babylon with the Spirit of serving and benefitting the nation.
How would you respond? How would religious Christians expect you to respond?
Daniel Trusted God
Daniel trusted God in what Jeremiah said. Go and have a life and seek the welfare of the city.
Daniel trusted God with the dietary restrictions he outlined in the law.
The dietary laws were about trusting God for the Life he wants to give. These were not about worshipping other gods.
God’s Life is counterintuitive to our natural ways. The leadership of Babylon were used to eat, drink and be merry. Enjoy all of the nice things in life.
Daniel chose to be self-controlled in God’s way. And God gave him and his small group Life.
Discipline takes vision. Daniel had the vision God gave Jeremiah. Daniel had vision of God for his people. Daniel trusted God enough to walk towards that vision despite the possible opposition.
The world around you will never change on their own. They will never see a different Life without seeing a different Life inside of you.
To have a different Life, you have to have a different vision. To have a different vision, you have to tap into God’s vision.
God sees a Life for you that only he can see. He wants you to see what he sees. He invites you to ask him to fill you with his will.
Faith is seeing Life the way only God sees Life and then acting on what only God sees.
Take God’s Word Deeper…
Taking action on what only God sees will be hard and yet Life-giving. And the world around you needs you to show them a different way of Life.
What does God see for your life? How do you step towards what he sees?
What does God see for the church you lead? How do you step others towards God’s vision?
What are you praying for that is impossible? Where if God does not show up, you will not accomplish it.