Sun Valley Community Church

Have you ever noticed that when news reporters go and ask “a Christian” what they think about something they usually go and ask the dumbest one they can find? That drives me crazy. We do not have a blind faith, but a reasonable one. Jesus taught that we are to be “wise as serpents” and “gentle as doves”. He once told a seemingly off-color story about a “shrewd manager” who lies and manipulates his way out of a tough situation and Jesus then praises his ingenuity. Daniel and his friends are shrewd in how they go about things. They live out their faith and are strategic about it. God calls us to do the same.

Daniel was humble. Contrary to popular belief there are no “jerks for Jesus”. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5), which means humility is the chief virtue of the Christian life. Humility is not weakness or a lack of bravery. It’s quite the opposite. It’s a strength that embraces the sovereignty of God, the reality of who we are and who we aren’t, and submits itself to the care of God with nothing to prove. Humility is a great strength. It releases the favor of God and gives us influence with others.

How did Daniel and his friends thrive even in Babylon? They had great hope. They knew that God is sovereign, which means HE is in control of who is in control. Daniel had great faith in the fact that even though things weren’t the way he wanted them to be, God was still working, and he was still part of God’s plan. We do not have to fret or fear because even if it seems like we’re losing, we know how the big game ends. God wins. Knowing the ending gives us confidence, courage and hope. Hope brings a calm assurance, even in Babylon.

A faith that has never been tested cannot really be trusted. The Bible teaches that the testing of our faith is a good thing that produces growth and endurance. How should we handle the testing of our faith? Should we fight a culture that is godless? Should we flee a culture that is godless? No, the Bible teaches that we should engage. We don’t curse the darkness, nor do we run from it. We live and proclaim the light.

People familiar with the Book of Daniel tend to think of it as an adventure book where the good guys always win, or as a detailed prophetic account of the future. Neither one is totally accurate. It includes adventure and some prophecy, but that’s not the main lesson. The Book of Daniel is about how to follow God in a culture that is Godless. His faith, hope, humility and wisdom are what set him apart. Bad things happen to good people all the time. It’s what we choose to do in those moments that make the difference.

Many of us are afraid of what God might ask us to do. We think His plans will make us miserable and we are afraid to trust Him. The truth is His interruptions are really invitations to something greater. His ways are always better than ours. His purpose might be different than our plans, His purpose may seem impossible, but all things are possible with God and it is in fulfilling His purposes that we find peace. We are responsible for obedience and God is responsible for the outcome.

Many of us do not obey God because we do not understand what we mean to him. We feel unworthy, inadequate, or unloved. Jesus came to the Shepherds first. If anyone in this day and time had feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy it would have been the Shepherds. Yet all through Jesus’ ministry, he chose the least likely to accomplish the most extraordinary. Pray and obey!