Pride Month! Bow to our Idol! The Christian must not. The World pressures the Christian to accept what God has forbidden. We serve a God Who remains with His people. Faith doesn't change our circumstances, but keeps us focused upon the One Who can and will deliver.

Discouragement and despair often hit the Christian, who feels overwhelmed with the World around them. There is a temptation to "Join with them" because it is believed there is no way to "Beat them". We learn from this passage of Scripture that the God of the Bible is greater than the gods and gurus of this world! And that the Lord honors those who honor Him! Take heart Christian and don't be afraid.

The world and the kingdoms of men will all come to an end, but the kingdom of God, which was inaugurated at the coming of Christ, will endure forever. Therefore don't place your confidence in the kingdoms of men, but in Christ Who is winning and has already won!

The Writer of Proverbs warns of the Troublemaker! He is the man who disregards the LORD in lieu of what he wants, and will hurt whoever it takes to get it! Beware of him O Christian as his life will suffer calamity and so will all who follow him!

When troubles effect the local church, it is the task of the broader church to come alongside of the troubled church and minister to her, to give guidance and encouragement to her that she may weather the storms that she has been through. We see this demonstrated for us in the aftermath of the Jerusalem Council in how they cared for the church in Antioch.

The most profound and hidden answers to questions like; Who am I? Why am I here? From where did all creation come? Where is history going? come not from the World. This World cannot answer these so we must stop looking to it for answers. Rather, it is the God of Heaven Who alone can answer these questions. Look to Him and find your peace!

The government has its place, but it is incapable of doing for men what they need most! We see in the beginning of Daniel 2 that man can only go so far in its help. Only God, however, can reveal mysteries. Only in God can we be shown what we need most to be delivered from what troubles us. Don't look to this world for answers!

When the Church has a major issue that is to be settled in her courts, it is not enough to merely answer the question at hand. The goal of the higher courts must be to strengthen the local church and to care for the people in her midst. It was the church in Antioch that suffered because of false brethren, ministry must be given to the local assembly!

It seemed as though God had lost to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. At times it seems this evil World is winning. The reader is to understand, that we must not judge by feeble sense the happenings in this World. By the end of Daniel 1, we see that the LORD indeed wins, as He is even to this day.

There is a crisis of integrity in our land! Marriages, Church members, politicians...who can we trust! It seems many can't be trusted as there is so little integrity. Solomon is writing so that his son chooses to live a life of integrity as it brings with it security, however the perverse will be exposed!