Good Morning Friday ...
Father thank You for this NEW day. Please continue to fill our HEARTs & MINDs with your LOVE & TRUTH and TRANSFORM our ordinary day into an extraordinary day TODAY!
- The Knowledge of God Brings Wisdom
Daniel knew God. This is where Daniel's wisdom came from. He had a healthy "fear of The LORD" and because of this, his wisdom grew. You never spray pepper spray when standing down wind, if you have... chances are now you have a healthy fear of doing that. Once you have experienced pepper spray to the face, you don't want to do it again. It is the same with Our Father. If you know Him, you fear Him because you know the awesome power He possesses. Daniel knew, as we should know, only the unwise take God's commands lightly. Pepper spray might be horrible, but it is a day at the park compared to The Wrath of God. Our King had something to say about this... Let's see:
““Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:27-28
Could this be the reason that Daniel and friends chose to obey? Daniel and his friends stayed faithful, even when it meant death, and this is ultimately what gave them Life. Their fear of God Almighty was well above lions, fires, pepper spray, and everything else those who opposed them could craft. God Our Father Has The Power To Do All, man just has his vain plans.
“Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you will gain wisdom for your future. Many plans are in the heart of a man, but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.”
Proverbs 19:20-21
With the wisdom that God gave Daniel, it is apparent that Daniel knew not everything was worth dying for. Certainly Daniel and friends found many things in Babylon wretched and personally distasteful, but they knew the difference between distaste and sin. Daniel didn't heap extra battles on himself, he followed God, and he chose wisely the conflicts with which he and his friends engaged.
As believers in Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and God Our Father, we should seek this wisdom that Daniel possessed. It is available to us all. In today's fallen world it is easy to misunderstand what we don't like and what sin actually is. We get all bent out of shape about things that we can be sure Daniel and his friends didn't bat an eye at. We have a tendency to argue about these things. Daniel had a tendency to "bear his cross" and obey God Our Father. Think about it: Daniel had his name change to Belteshazzar, which means "Bel or Baal's Prince." You think he liked that name being the God Lover he was? Of course not, but he submitted to what God was doing. Daniel was indifferent and calm through all the Babylonian persecutions he had to face. Whether it was studying the occult, a name change, or whatever other distasteful thing he and his friends faced, they overcame by wisdom, The Wisdom of Knowing God. This exact wisdom is what softened Nebuchadnessar's heart towards Daniel and gave him such profound influence. This wisdom is also what allowed Daniel to introduce Nebuchadnezzar himself to The One True and Living God. Aren't we called to introduce God to those who have not heard of His Way, Truth, and Life?
We have to realize that we are living in a mostly godless world and we won't have a shortage of facing godless people. Daniel never tried to impose his relationship with Our Father on those who didn't know God, and he didn't impose his righteous lifestyle. He knew when to not "eat the king's meat" and when to study and obey what he was told. This is why he was a stand-out, a Light, and a true Servant of God. Daniel knew when to stand and when to submit, because he knew God Almighty and had a healthy fear of Him. Daniel excelled because he knew...Knowledge of God Brings Wisdom.
- a cool note: The Hebrew word for "fear" has an alternate meaning to what we normally think of fear. It literally translates as "to know." Now replace "fear" with "to know" when you read this next verse and see what you think. "To Know God Is The Beginning of Wisdom." That definitely sounds legitimate.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10
The Knowledge of God Brought Daniel Wisdom. Because of this wisdom, kings bowed before Daniel. Daniel's knowledge of God Our Father and the wisdom he acquired brought him honor, even from his captors:
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.”
Daniel 2:46-49
Clearly Daniel knew:
“When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Proverbs 16:7
God Bless Everybody and have a God-Blessed Day!
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