PT-1 "God's Power Versus Man's Authority"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/6/2013 7:56 AM

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  God’s power versus man’s authority PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Daniel 6:12-13

            Message of the verses:  We begin the third main point in Dr. Wiersbe’s outline for the sixth chapter of Daniel remembering that the forces we are seeing in this sixth chapter often will be seen in different settings in life, settings like our families, our churches or even in our job locations (corporations), and finally can be seen in our governments.

            Daniel accused (Daniel 6:11-12):  “12  Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." 13  Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.’”

            We have already mentioned that Daniel prayed three times a day to the Lord with his window open towards Jerusalem, and that Daniel was 80+ years old and so he had done this for a long time and had seen some amazing answer’s to his prayers, and so it is no surprise that he continued doing this same thing. “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Paul wrote these words to the Philippian church, and we know from our study of Daniel that he too believed this.

            I wonder what went through the mind of Darius when these men came to tell him about Daniel’s disobeying of the new law that the king signed.  Do you suppose the first thing he thought of was that he had made a grave error in signing this law because he knew that Daniel prayed to the Lord three times a day?  I think that the king knew that he had egg on his face but did not know how to wash it off.  God would take care of this and in doing so would bring glory to Himself, and Darius would know that Daniel’s God was the One true God.

            Some quotes from Dr. Wiersbe on this section:  “As they take their stand for what is right and what the Lord has commanded them to do, God’s people in every age have been falsely accused, cruelly persecuted, and unjustly killed.  ‘Yes, and all who desires to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ (2Tim. 3:12, NKJV).  The Puritan preacher Henry Smith said, ‘God examines with trials, the devil with temptations and the world with persecutions.’  Another Puritan, Richard Baxter, said that God’s people should be more concerned that they deserved the persecution than that they be delivered from it, because deserving it would be evidence of their faithfulness to the Lord.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that persecution will soon come upon those who live in our country, and my prayer is that I will not waver from my trust in the Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Proverbs 3:5-6.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 46:1-9

            1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.  Selah.  4 There is a river whose streams make glade the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the most high.  God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved, God will help her when morning dawns.

            6 The nations make an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.  7 The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.  8 Come behold the works of the Lord, who wrought desolations in the earth.  9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “Simon Peter” (Luke 5:5).

Today’s Bible Question:  “In what city did Paul and Silas sing in jail at midnight?”

Answer in tomorrow’s SD.

8/6/2013 8:30 AM