Gods light in your darkness! Daniel 2:20-23

This weeks text is a wonderful psalm of praise from the lips of Daniel.  When we think about psalms we usually think about looking to the book of psalms but perhaps there is no more beautiful words offered in Scripture then the ones that follow.

Daniel 2:20-23

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
    wisdom and power are his.
²¹ He changes times and seasons;
    he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.
²² He reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what lies in darkness,
    and light dwells with him.
²³ I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
    You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
    you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel was a powerful man of God who served the Lord faithfully from his youth.  While others might have given up their faith and the principles, Daniel remained strong.  His story starts when he was a young man in his late teens as he and his friends are exiled along with thousands of others when King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem.    Daniel was one of the "lucky ones" for he was chosen among others from the Jewish nobles to be groomed to serve in the kings palace.   Daniel 1:4 speaks of the qualities that Nebuchadnezzar was looking for.  He was seeking "...young men in whom there was no blemish, but good looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand."   Indeed, Daniel was that and even more.   John Maxwell in his leadership study Bible says that the secret of Daniel is found in his, Character, Competence, Convictions, Courage, Charisma, Commitment, and Compassion.   Those are some awesome qualities indeed!

Daniel offers this psalm of praise in response to the revelation that was given to him by God.  You see the king was disturbed by a troublesome dream and none of his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, or the Chaldeans could interpret his dream.  But God inabled David to understand the meaning of the dream.  Its interesting to note that Daniel praised God even before he talked with the king regarding this matter but Daniel was a young man of great faith and courage.  And faith praises even before the blessings are revealed.

His psalm offers to us a great truth, that God is in control of all things even in the face of the greatest evils and the greatest and most evil of kings.   Indeed there is nothing hidden or dark to the Lord and there is no power that God cannot overcome.   Daniel understood this and his life is an evidence of that fact.

No one would have been surprised if Daniel and his friends would have compromised and left their faith behind.  He was a young man.  there were no Synagogues and no one to keep them accountable.  Besides the leaders of this new land were treating him like royalty.  He could be a servant to the king.  But the only king Daniel was eager to serve was the Lord God.   Daniel held to his faith and became a blessing and a powerful influence for good throughout his life.  In the end God would prove himself faithful time and time again.

To Ponder:  What are the changes of your life that tempt you to throw up your hands?  Are there sources of darkness which you feel cannot be overcome?   Please read the book of Daniel.  Pray hard and trust the Lord.  God is faithful and eager to shine His light into your life.   God may even use your greatest challenges as the window to your greatest blessings to others.   Remember God is in control over everything.

Virtuous? what's that all about. Psalm 31:10-12, 30

Proverbs 31:10-12

New Living Translation (NLT)
 

^10 [a]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.



Virtuous...  I wonder how often have you used that word today or perhaps this week or even the last month?   That's a word we don't use too often.   So I thought it might be good to look at that word for a moment.  First some synonyms for that word.   all right, decent, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, nice, right, righteous, right-minded, straight, true, upright, good. 

 Now a definition from  Wikipedia - Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness.

I like the idea of a foundation of principle and moral being.    A foundation is what you build upon.  For example if the foundation of a building is poor no matter how you try and how beautiful the building eventually the building will have problems.  conversely if your building upon a good foundation you can always rebuild and make corrections along the way.  Now I know that it's not a good thing to compare a woman or a wife to a building. ha ha  So if I've offended anyone I'm sorry.  Its just an analogy even if it isn't very romantic.   But if you think about it there are some beautiful and exciting homes that anyone would love to live in that have sound foundations.  My guess is that the home listing doesn't mention anything about the foundation. 

Yes, most women would love to be called beautiful, exciting, warm, sensitive, intelligent, funny, talented, and creative.   I'm not sure you will get a big smile and a hug by calling your wife virtuous tonight at the kitchen table.  But how blessed you are to have a virtuous wife.  All those other qualities and characteristic I just listed build upon that foundation and we love our wives because of those things as well.  But I hope that each man has a virtuous wife and that each woman is a virtuous person.  These are the women that God blesses and these are the women that bless their children.

I believe the Bible speak of three great virtues.  Faith, Hope and Love.   These should be the foundation of all of our relationships and of course the foundation of our relationship with God.  We should have faith in God in all things  Secondly we have hope which is the certainty of God's goodness and love which the Apostle Paul says is the greatest of all.

For a Christian, virtuous starts with our relationship with God;  Our trust in God and our complete surrender to walk in the ways of God.   We will not be perfect but if this is not the desire of our heart then ours is a flawed foundation and we must repent and ask God to change and transform our heart to the image of Christ.

Tonight. If you are a husband of a virtuous wife find a way to let her know how thankful you are!  and if you are a woman of virtue give thanks to God for he will greatly use you to be a blessing to others. 

And by the way.... blessed is the woman who has a virtuous man as well.

Who wins our battles? 1 Samuel 17:47

1 Samuel 17: 47

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”


The question is this.  Who wins our battles?

In the minds of these Isrealite soldiers it is obvious that though they may have had faith in God they didn't trust God enough to face the giant Goliath.  No they pretty much hid in fear.  It seems that not even King Saul had faith in God's ability.  Sadly he had to offer rewards and the hand of his daughter for the one who defeated the Giant.

(The idea of giving away your daughter as reward for a bold champion seems very strange today.  Try something like that day and you daughter is likely to say......"Thanks a lot.... but you've got to be kidding me if you think I'm going to marry just any old macho fool who fights off a giant")

Indeed it should have been enough for any man to stand up to the giant for the honor of Isreal.

David was the exeption in this regard. When he heard the giants threats he didn't worry about the giant's stature and the thickness of his armor.  David knew that God was able to do all things and he would stand up to prove it!

David knew that the giant Goliath was a much stronger opponent but David also believed in God and proclaimed to the enemy soldiers, "the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47b.  Those are pretty bold words from a little boy!

David knew what the Gospel and Epistle writer John would later express in 1 John 4:4. John said, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Yes when we fight against the world we can be assured that the Lord is the Lion who stands in back of us!

It is easy to forget that fact isn't it.. It's easy to worry and freat sometimes over things that will never happen.  Faith we remember is the evidence of things unseen. Hebrews 11:1. 

No, God doesn't need us to fight His battles on behalf of his people but when people become the hands and feet of Christ the more battles God wins as we step out in faith.  In addition as we do that the more our confidence and boldness in the Lord will grow! 

So what obstiles and giants stand in your way?   Are you trying to fight with armour that doesn' quite fit you?   Are you willing to trust God with what he has given you?

These are the lessons we learn as we Walk Through The Word together.

There is a Redeemer

There is so much that could be said about the book of Ruth.  I just finished preaching a four part sermon on the book a couple months ago so I'll try my best not to sermonize too much..  Maybe a little. 

Today I want to talk about Boaz the kinsman redeemer.  When Ruth and Naomi were in Bethlehem, while Naomi was determined to be bitter and resolved to die, Ruth was determined to live.   Ruth went out to glean in one of the locals field and by chance or by God's provision she came to a field owned by Boaz a close relative.  She followed behind the servants who gathered the barley and gleaned what was left behind.  When Boaz noticed her he did more than have pity on her... he was truly interested in her and determined to protect her.   Now we can't say that it was love at first sight.  I'll let the romantics who happen upon my blog to satisfy their imaginations if they wish.  Boaz out of his kindness even requested that his workers leave an extra measure of Barley behind and even to allow her to glean among the workers without sending her away.

When Ruth told Naomi of her good fortune Naomi was filled with hope again.  Eventually Naomi cooked up a plot where Ruth would make advances on the threshing floor by going to Boaz at night.   Boaz would know what to do.  He was an honorable man and would take Ruth as his wife if he was able.   Being that he was a close kin to Naomi he could take Ruth and redeem the land that was owned by Elimelech, Naomi's deceased husband.   To survive Naomi had planned to sell the property but a kinsman redeemer could buy the property and then give it back if you will to the owner in this case Naomi.  

 Boaz though deeply flattered and in love with Ruth had a problem.  Boaz knew that there was a closer kin who had the first right of redemption.  This fact and the fact that Ruth was much younger than he was the primary reason Boaz refrained from making the first advances himself.  However now that Ruth had approached him, he would settle the matter quickly.  At first the closest of kin took the right of redemption but refused once he realized that taking Ruth as his wife was a part of the deal as well.   Perhaps his present wife didn't like the idea?  but it probably also posed other financial burdens.... but you can read about that yourself.


Now the way was open for Boaz to redeem the land and to take Ruth as his wife.   A baby was soon on  the way and Naomi and Ruth would be safe and blessed for the rest of their lives.  It was a wonderful love story indeed and through that union Ruth's Name would join the most royal lineage. Her child would become the grandfather to King David and Ruth would eventually be included in the lineage of the most royal redeemer of all, Jesus Christ.

Boaz was what some might call a "type" of Christ.   We remember that Christ himself would redeem his people.  He would buy back our salvation through the gift of his blood which would pay the price and the punishment for our sins. 

Thanks be to God that we have a redeemer, Jesus Christ, who sees us in our times of despair.   He knows how helpless we are and though we like Ruth can only beg, Jesus offers us eternal life as a son or daughter of the king of kings!   No we are not received as servants or slaves.  We come as the bride of Christ bought by the blood of the lamb.  We are redeemed and all we have to do is approach Christ and humbly place ourselves in faith at the feet of Jesus.  

To ponder:   How blessed we are that Christ provides for us and protects us now and in the future.  We are his and there is nothing that can separate us from his love... Nothing.  Let us rejoice and walk as proud and thankful people.... brothers and sisters in Christ!

If you've not placed yourself at the feet of Christ to allow him to redeem your life I would invite you to pray with me and if you have join me as we rededicate our lives to Jesus.

Dear God I thank you for Christ who stands ready to receive me.  I thank you that he sees me in all of my sin yet for the sake of love calls me in and offers me forgiveness.  Lord right now I receive Jesus offer for my life.  I hand my life into his hands as my savior, redeemer and friend.   Forgive me of my sins.  Fill me with your Spirit and help me to walk with Jesus as my guild.  Thank you for accepting me as your child.   In Jesus name I pray,  Amen

If you prayed that prayer for the first time I encourage you strongly to find a church and talk with the pastor so he or she can celebrate with you and help you on the journey.  I would also be greatly honored if you would send me an email message at timothybrownpastor@yahoo.com

God's blessings to us all as we walk through the word together.