My Journal for Today: Earlier this month I quoted my friend Loretta, who used to say quite often when she was with us, so truthfully and forcefully, “First obedience, then God’s blessing.” Well, in the first chapter of the book of Daniel, we read of four young, but courageous, believers, being held in captivity with pagan leaders who were trying to reshape the hearts/minds/lives of these lads. Yet with Godly discernment and fortitude [i.e., Spiritual integrity], well beyond their age, they held on to God’s truth; and so, God, in turn, rewarded them, giving them knowledge, strength, and vision which would later prove invaluable in Daniel’s witness for God (see Daniel, chapters 7 – 12).
Today Satan, even as he did in the Garden of Eden, tries to confuse and deceive the minds of non-believers and especially immature Christians, even entire civilizations (see 2nd Cor. 4: 4), so that they will do things their own way rather than within the will of God. It’s Satan’s battle with God for our worship; and any idolatrous thoughts the Devil can facilitate in our hearts, it takes away from our closeness with God and our spiritual power in this life.
However, when we believe in and hold to God’s way, primarily as spelled out in His word, as did these four young Hebrews in the Book of Daniel, God will honor us as He did them; and we will come to realize that any calling of God or the testing of our self-will with the circumstances of life will be for our own good (see Rom. 8: 28) and ultimately for God’s glory. But humbly receiving and using God’s enabling grace, we will be able, as did Daniel and the boys, to serve and glorify God (again see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9, which I keep repeating because of their pertinence).
And by the way, any wisdom you read in what has been written here this morning is well beyond the mind of the writer (yours truly). Being able to come up with the biblical references and integrating them with the topic most mornings as I write this journal is entirely the wisdom which comes from within me from God’s Spirit. Many times, when I write what I do here in my quiet time with God, I read back over what I have written, as I have this morning, and I think, “Wow! I’m not smart enough to write that!” And I’m not. So, I know it has to come from God; and I’m certainly no Daniel when it comes to spouting forth Godly prophesy, which indicates – at least to me – that any Christian who seeks after and relies upon Godly truth, from Gods word, can have wisdom well beyond their own human capacity. That’s actually the promise of another passage, which just bubbled up from my consciousness, as evidence of what I’m saying here. Read James 1: 5-6 [linked here for your study]; and you will see that Christians are promised God’s wisdom in abundance as long as we seek His mind from His truth. I hope I never quit realizing that my wisdom is always dependent upon my integrity as a Christian and my willingness to be dependent upon God’s truth (through His word).
My Prayer Today: You are the way, Lord, … the ONLY way! Amen
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