Undefiled

Daniel 1:8-17

Throughout life, we often feel as though God doesn’t notice our suffering, and we wonder whether or not He actually hears our prayers. As believers, we face continual persecution for our faith, men slander and defile our good reputations, and the world mocks us for what we believe. Some even go so far as to inflict physical pain on those who claim the name of Christ. But, in those moments when we feel as though God has forgotten about us, we should stop and read about the struggles men of God dealt with in Scripture.

One example of men who suffered for righteousness sake, can be found in our text. Because of their continual disobedience, God allowed Israel to be taken into captivity by Babylon. While being held captive, the king of Babylon called for children from Israel, who were without blemish, well favored, skilled in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge and understanding, and were able to learn their language. Those who were selected included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The king even decided to change the names of the young men, as a sign of placing them under subjection. It’s one thing to be abducted against your will, and it’s even worse when you are given another name, then forced to learn pagan customs.

To make a long story short, Daniel and his brethren went against the kings commands, in order to obey the commands of God, and his three friends were forced to face the death penalty. God delivered the young men from the fiery furnace, and proved that no matter what comes against the children of God, if they remain faithful, He will deliver them with a mighty hand.

It matters not what you’re going through in life, because if you stay true to God, and obey His words over man’s, He’ll always come through for you, and your haters will have front row seats to witness it.

“Trust God through the good, the bad, and the in-between.” – Ell

Listen, And Live

Jeremiah 38:1-6

When God spoke a word, in the scriptures, it was always in the best interest of those whom His words were directed, to take heed, and do as He commanded. God gave instruction, direction, or warning, so that those whom He called to serve His purpose, would fulfill what He expected from them, without distraction or delay.

In those times when men refused to follow God’s direct instructions, a hard lesson was usually associated with their disobedience. One such example can be found in the book of Numbers. Despite all his favor, fame, and miraculous works, Moses never stepped foot in the land of promise, due to his disobedience. During the time when Moses had led the children of Israel into the desert of Zin, where no food or water was to be found, the people had become hungry and parched. Things were so bad, that even Miriam, Moses’ sister, died, and was buried there. So, Moses and his brother Aaron prayed to God earnestly, and God appeared to them, then gave Moses a simple instruction; “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink”. Obeying God couldn’t get any more simpler than that… right? Unfortunately, Moses had become so frustrated with the complaining people, that rather than speak to the rock as God commanded, he literally whacked it, not once, but TWICE, out of disgust for the rebellious people. Shame on you Moses lol. He was almost there too!

Our text gives another example of the importance of adhering to the voice of the Lord. God had given a word to the prophet Jeremiah, to warn the people of the city to flee toward the Chaldeans, so they might live, because their city would soon be overtaken by the Babylonian army. By this time in Scripture, Jeremiah had proven himself to be a true prophet of the living God, but his words weren’t received well by the princes who were gathered in his presence also. Rather than take heed to God’s life-saving warning, the men convinced the king, that Jeremiah was only weakening the hands of the military, as well as the people in the city, by uttering such hurtful words. The naive king gave in to the cries of the princes, and had the prophet Jeremiah thrown into the dungeon. To give a shortened version to the conclusion of this story, God took care of His prophet, and rescued him from certain death, but as for king Zedekiah and those who remained in the city, well… let’s just say they never saw the light of day, ever again (the details of their judgment are extremely graphic).

When God gives instruction to us today (as He expects us to obey the Bible), it would be wise for us to read, hear, study, and take heed. God knows what’s ahead of us, and desires that we not be overtaken with sin. But, we must trust that His Word is true, and willingly do those things He asked of us, in His Word.

Why does the living man complain?

Ell

The Wages Of Sin

2 Kings 24:20-25:7

Since the beginning of time, nothing good has ever been birthed from acts of rebellion. When Cain went against the instructions of God, not only was he cursed, but the very grounds from which he prepared and cultivated, would no longer produce sufficient crops. Aaron and the children of Israel rebelled against God, even after witnessing some of the greatest miracles ever recorded in Scripture. Thus, they were not permitted to enter the land of promise. When we refuse to follow God’s simple and easy instructions, we literally cut ourselves off from receiving His divine protection, direction, and provision. Sin and disobedience are deterrents, that keep us from walking in obedience to God, and adds unnecessary distance between us and our intended purpose.

God made a plan for everyone, and if followed obediently, all things will be aligned accordingly, but when we sin, we push ourselves further away from where God intended our lives to be. In essence, “sin wastes time that we can never recover”. Acts of sin have consequences, and although God’s intentions are to bless, He can’t embrace and inhabit unholy temples.

Our text continues with the foretelling of Jerusalem’s captivity. God warned the king that if he swallow his pride and submit to Babylon, he and his family would live. Unfortunately, king Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, causing his sons to be slain before his very eyes, and his own eyes to be plucked out, completing the judgment of God upon Judah.

Many view God as being unfair, harsh, and insensitive, but God is holy, and demands obedience from His people. Like a good parent, who expects their children to follow the standard they establish in their home, God wants His children to follow after His righteous standard. When we refuse to do that which is right, we will first be chastised, because God loves us too much to merely allow us to perish, without being given a chance to change. But, if we continue down the path of rebellion, God’s judgment won’t be too far behind.

I’m totally convinced, it hurts God to see His people suffer at the hands of evil men, but it grieves His heart more when we deliberately disobey the simple commands He set before us. Put yourself in God’s shoes; if you created men in your image, and prepared a wonderful end for all of them, would your heart hurt to see them go after other things, instead of you?

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

The Whole Truth

Jeremiah 38:14-18

God knows all things, whereas men only see things in part. The Lord knows the end from the beginning, while man can only make assumptions based on limited knowledge. From those truths, I’d like to pose a question: Who do you trust more with your life, God, or man? When God spoke to, and through men in Scripture, His purpose was to direct them toward the most favorable path. God spoke to men like Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Joshua, and gave them words of inspiration and direction, that would only prove effective, if the people were willing to obey. When the people chose to obey, God blessed them richly and abundantly, but when they refused, they forced God’s hand to bring judgment upon them.

Our text gives a vivid example of such a lesson, when God gave word to the prophet Jeremiah, to advise king Zedekiah to surrender to Babylon, so that the city would not be burned, and he and his family would live. It’s not an easy thing to surrender to an enemy without putting forth a fight, but God knew that if king Zedekiah had confronted Babylon, he would have been slaughtered. As I afore mentioned, God knows all things, and He gave fair warning to the king, in order to preserve his life, and the lives of his people.

Do you listen, and take heed when God gives you warning, or do you have a tendency of following your own judgment? God can see beyond our thoughts and imaginations, and He left instructions (through the lives of biblical prophets and others in Scripture) that if followed, will keep us on the favorable path. God desires that all men come to repentance, and has no pleasure in seeing them perish, but the choice is ours; to take heed to His words and prosper, or ignore them and perish.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell