Daniel 3

Oh the ever famous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We all know it. When told they must bow down to the king's statue they refused. So the king ordered for them to be thrown into the furnace. But they told the king that their God would save them from the furnace. Although I've heard this story a thousand times, something new was recently pointed out to me. They responded to the king and said something that really makes me think.

"But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

They really believed that God would save them. But if not, they still would not bow down to the king's statue (and not only because they would be dead and couldn't). They would only worship their God. I want God to do so many things in my life, but sometimes if His plan isn't the same as mine I get frustrated. I want things to go the way I think is right. But I need to remember that if not, I should still worship God. I should still ask things of Him but all the while knowing that things may not turn out the way I want them to, but that's okay. So then the story goes on and of course, they are thrown into the furnace and they come out alive. God saved them, but the point is that they knew that even if God didn't, that was okay too. Whatever God's plan turned out to be, they were going to be happy with it. God, help me to know that even if things don't go the way I think they should, You have a plan and I just need to trust You.

Daniel 1

We've been going through the book of Daniel in Sunday School and it has some pretty interesting stories so I decided it would be a good place to try to get my quiet times going again. Daniel and his brothers chose not to defile themselves by eating the kings food even though it was the best food they would probably ever eat. By asking for permission to be allowed to eat only vegetables they showed how much faith they had in God. Their request could have easily been declined, but it wasn't. They knew that God would take care of them and make a way for them to do what was right. He will always make a way for us if we only ask. Sometimes I forget that. God will always make a way.

Daniel in the Lion's Den

So I was reading that story today in Daniel..one of my favorites that I remember being told since I was so little! Anyway, something I caught that I hadn't really paid attention to before was in verse 10 (chapter 6):

10Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God. (Contemporary English version)

Daniel knew all about the law, but he prayed anyway. He didn't happen to get CAUGHT praying (which is what I kinda thought growing up). He knew full well that he was going against the law, but he refused to alter his beliefs or his everyday actions.

Sometimes I don't do certain things or say certain things that should be said if I know it will offend someone. I do what I do based on the world's standards and norms. But, to be like Daniel, I should lay aside everything this world says is "right" and normal (tolerance) and just live for God regardless. Knowing full well that it might offend people, get me in trouble, etc.

This may not have made sense to anyone else but it did to me :)

Jeremiah 3:10

"And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense," says the Lord.

Pretense... I wish I knew exactly what that word meant, but I'm on this dumb computer at school and it won't let me open up another tab to go to wikipedia. Here's my definition. Pretense - from the Latin root word pretend, meaning insincere, fake, mockingly. I don't want to be insincere with God. I see it all around and it makes me incredibly sad, not just for the person doing it, but for all of Christianity. Eventually, everyone sees through pretense. It's not something you can keep up for long. God sees through it from the start.

Lord, help me to seek you with my whole heart. Examine me and remove any pretense from my life.

- Blu

Psalm 27

As I was sitting in church tonight waiting for Facing the Giants to start, I started flipping through the Psalms. I was looking for one that spoke about trusting God. I scanned a few of them and then my eyes fell to Psalm 27. It spoke so much to where I am right now. It's 14 verses, but I'm going to try to memorize it. Something that I know God wants from me is to memorize Scripture. I have like the best memory in the world, but I have never really used it to honor Him, so I want to. It's weird..before church I started memorizing the first verse and then all throughout the movie it just stayed in my head. I guess that's what happens when you really meditate on God's Word. It stays with you. Anyway, I digress. :)

Ok so I was sitting there reading this part (v. 8) "When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Oh Lord, I shall seek." Right then (Blu was playing some background music) the song lyrics said "I close my eyes, and I see Your face..." It was weird. It was like God was telling me that in the midst of everything else that is going on in my life, He wants me to seek His face. No, actually not in the MIDST of everything else. BEFORE everything else. That's ALL He wants me to do, is seek His face.

As for the Samuel situation, the last verse really spoke to me "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."

God, please help me to seek Your face every second of the day. Help me to be able to wait for You.

~Darbi

Daniel 9

Ok, real quick cuz I don't have a lot of time anymore. But I did want everyone to know that I'm still doing my quiet time! I think Daniel 9 contains one of the greatest prayers in the bible. It's honest, passion-filled, and God centered. Daniel has a legitimate request for God (to save them) but the way he looks at the situation is cool. He knows that it's their own fault for messing up, but he asks God to save them for His glory. Verse 18 says, "for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

What will move God to action? Anything that brings Him glory. Not, "O Lord, help me out cuz I want this." But "Lord, move in this situation so that honor and glory and praise are brought to Your name." Cool.

Daniel 5:22

Being humble is a big thing to God. I guess it comes back to the basic idea that He's in control and we're not. Anytime something good happens, I have a tendency to think that I'm the one doing it. But when something bad happens, I'm driven to my knees to seek God more intently than if everything went the way I wanted it to. I wish I could just get it down where I sought God and depended on Him and humbled myself before Him at all times, not just when I don't know what to do... That way God wouldn't have to get my attention through external circumstances. He would already have it.

Lord, help me to humble myself before you and realize that when I depend on you, I've got everything I need. And when I depend on myself, I just mess things up.