Taking a Stand

Sep 02, 2008 02:58 PM EDT

Daniel 1:9 NIV

Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with a problem. They were determined to stick by their resolve, but one thing stood in their way. The chief official who had been placed in authority over them by Nebuchadnezzar was a man loyal to his king. He was obviously a man whom Nebuchadnezzar trusted or he wouldn't have been given such a responsible position. He was in charge of these choice young men who had been brought from Israel to serve Nebuchadnezzar in his palace. It was his direct responsibility to oversee their three year training period, during which they would be taught the language and literature of Babylon, an education which also involved teaching these young men about the gods of Babylon and what they must do to serve these gods, as well as the king. This was the strong, educated and trusted man that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to face with their request to do something directly against the king's orders. If they had fallen to human thinking, they would never have made the request in the first place, because by all human logic, there is no way the chief official would have granted their request.

But, instead, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took a stand. Defying human logic, they stood firm in their resolve to follow God's laws. And God "caused the official to show favor and sympathy" to these young men. When these four young men took a stand for God, God stepped in and took care of the situation.

Sometimes, all God is waiting for is to see you and me take a stand for Him. He wants us to defy human logic. He wants us to face impossible circumstances and stand for Him. He wants us to believe He will do what He says He will do, and for us to act on our faith in Him.

Are you facing an impossible situation in your life? Does doing God's will in that situation defy all human logic? Allow Him to work out the situation in His way. You do your part by taking a stand for Him.

Used with Permission