Good morning Friend,
I trust you had a beautiful weekend. Today, by God’s Grace, we will continue on the series we started in August 2018; “The Book of Daniel” and what a revelational series it has been. We will be considering a very unique perspective in Daniel which to a certain degree is lost in many believers today. This blessed story is found in Daniel chapter 6.
It is about Daniel and how he had ascended a stature of relevance and influence in the third dispensation of government under King Darius. The presidents, governors and ministers connived to eliminate him from the cabinet because he had become too powerful and influential for them. He became a threat to all their corrupt practices. They checked through his parastatal for inconsistencies, misappropriation and discrepancies in the execution of the Persian policies, they couldn’t find any irregularity. They planted a female secretary around him to cause a moral failure, they still came up short. They then came face to face with a reality; that only when they attack his faith on the basis of a governmental policy will they force him to become culpable for an offence. So they decided they were going to do exactly that. There is a lot to learn from Daniel with respect to our dealings in the work place, we must be faithful and above reproach as empowered by the Grace of God.
They manipulated the King to sign a decree that no-one should pray or make supplication to any god except to the king, else, such a person will be thrown into the Lion’s den. They massaged the King’s ego and he fell for it. Now to the crux of the story;
Daniel 6:10 (KJV) Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being opened in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Something profound struck me in this verse of scripture; the fact that even though Daniel knew about this decree and the intention of the council of leaders to eliminate him from the cabinet, he was aware of the obvious battle that was going on, but he didn’t make a prayer point out of it!
This was a plot beyond eliminating him from the cabinet, it was an attack against his life. For many believers, if they came upon such a plot against our lives, their prayers points would go somewhat like this;
“My heavenly Father, see the people plotting evil against me, Father, begin to destroy them, one after the other. From the highest ranking officer to the very last one of them. Give them no room for repentance, begin to Destroy! Destroy!! Destroy!!! Stroy!!! Stroy!!!”
But guess what, Daniel didn’t even magnify the situation enough to include it in his prayer agenda. Those periods were for him to fellowship with his God and not to become anxious about some hating colleagues plotting his downfall. Daniel was secure in His God. His security came from one very fundamental thing; he knew His God.
Daniel 8:32 (KJV) And such that do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits
Many a believer shudder and fear at the instance of a threat against their lives. Do we really know who we call Father? Do we have an idea how powerful He indeed is? Why on earth should anyone be afraid of what man, whose breath is in his nostrils can do unto him when the One who puts breathe into clay in His Father? I love the way the Holy Spirit through the pages of Scriptures introduces God in some instances. You many times see things like; The Creator of the ends of the Earth… in case you’re in doubt of His capacity, check His CV and come to terms with his profile. He didn’t just create the earth, HE created the ends of the earth which is in itself unsearchable. Many of our “fall down and die prayer points” reflect more of our faith in the capacity of the enemy to hurt us, than in God’s capacity to protect, shield and secure us from every arrow, pestilence or attack from hell.. Daniel made no prayer point out of the threat of the enemy, he very well knew who they were up against, they were up against the Creator of the ends of the Earth, and that God whom he had come to know is absolutely undefeatable! Glory to God forever!!! Daniel mind you was an avid reader of the “Books”. He had read about God’s master class show off in Egypt at the Exodus, he had read about the mighty acts God wrought through the Patriarchs and Prophets. He knew there was nothing anyone could do to hurt him. It was also through the Books, he cultivated the culture of opening his windows towards Jerusalem, because King Solomon had prayed and petitioned God to answer every prayer that is prayed towards the Temple in Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles 6. You can imagine the detailed thinking in Daniel and his commitment to the ordinances of God; he built his house and drew up the architectural blueprint with the coordinates of Jerusalem in mind, such that the windows of his chambers were positioned in the direction of Jerusalem. Daniel challenges me, I hope he does you too.
Daniel knew his God and because he knew his God, he made no prayer point out of the threats of the enemy.
Is it wrong to pray for security and protection from God in a time of trouble, absolutely not! But there is a reality higher than that. A place in God where you are so confident that 2 million of the armies of the Persian Soldiers can do you no harm if the Lord does not permit it. Oh yes, he would eventually be thrown in the Lion’s den but his confidence in that God never waned. Because lions are one of the things He created while creating the ends of the earth. The anointing and presence Daniel carried around was so awe inspiring, even the lions became his protocol officers. They saw the Lion of the Tribe of Judah right behind him and who were they to open their hungry mouths.
Magnify the Lord in your heart. Pay no attention to the enemy and his threats. In movies, you would hear the President of the United States of America say things like “We don’t negotiate with terrorists”. Don’t spend the entire time meant for fellowshipping with God on casting and binding and loosing devils who cannot stand the presence of God. Get into that presence with worship and watch how you win battles of life without ever having to lift a finger.
God, the creator of the ends of the earth is your Father!
Have a fruitful week ahead.