We held our monthly gathering on Saturday February 8 and had a special “guest speaker”- our own Sr. Pastor, the Rev. Larry Potts!
This year we’ve been looking at different Old Testament characters and trying to learn life lessons from their experiences. Pastor Larry built on our theme by discussing the story of Daniel with us. Actually, the book of Daniel contains six stories (and four visions). We started with the opening chapters and discovered that Daniel was a man of loyalty, integrity, and perseverance.
In the opening chapters, we see how the King of Babylon is trying to give Daniel (and his fellow Jews) a new identity. He wants them to “put on a song” to his gods. He wants Daniel and his friends to put away their hopes and dreams and even to take on new names and new food.
But Daniel resisted. He could not be unglued from his God. His loyalty and trustworthiness were tested, but he stood true to God. And because he trusted in God, he was successful:
- 1:15 Daniel and his friends rejected the king’s food and looked healthier than the rest.
- 1:20 Daniel and his friends “stood out”. They were “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters.”
- 2:48 The king became dependent on Daniel and recognized that “your God is the God of gods.”
- 2:30 Daniel not only interprets the king’s dream, but he interprets it with brutal honesty. His faith allows him to speak the truth, even if it contains bad news for the king.
So what about us? Where do people see our faith? Do we stand out somehow? Is God glorified when people look at us and say “he is a Christian”?
Loyalty and Trustworthiness don’t always come easy, but God will use us and let us shine as a light for Him when we remain faithful.
