We Worship The Faithful One, Who Rescues Like No One Else Can!

Sitting here. Listening to the rain. And getting amber alerts on my phone, due to Hurricane Harvey! Needless to say, I just ran into this devotional that I had charted out for my wonderful friends at Stillwater Community Church sometime last year. So, I thought it would be good to share it on here - especially due to the nature of Houston's inclement weather.

The Daily Dive Devotional (A Series of Stillwater Community Church)

Short Bio: One of the greatest gifts that the LORD has given me, is to be married to Stephany my wife, my crown & my joy! God has also blessed us with four beautiful children...Daniella Ellie, Olivia Grace, Noble Jedidiah, & Finley Judah. An desire & aspiration of mine is to write books on the subject of worship - and make the "Unknown God" known to the Church and to those who would desire to grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Fun things I like to do: Hang out with my family & make some memories, play my guitar & write songs for the Church. I also like to take road trips (short & long) with the family! And maybe one day, take my little ones camping and get into the outdoors as a new family tradition. Books I've enjoyed reading: Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, In The Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, & The Furious Longing of God. Favorite Food? Mediterranean Cuisine. Favorite Movie? The Passion Of The Christ (for many reasons). It is our joy & privilege to be at Still Water - to serve & connect to a community of believers who love Jesus and enjoy doing life together.

Title: We Worship The Faithful One, Who Rescues Like No One Else Can!

Passage (Daniel 4 NLT):1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

Commentary/Application:

In these few passages, we can actually see a dark time for these young Hebrew men. a series of several crazy-like events that led them to this particular predicament. However, there they stood, they had a choice to make. Standing before a king: and a tyrant whose only interest was himself and making his own name glorious and that of his god. He was interested in getting these young men to bow regardless what the cost would be. And these young men chose to NOT bow their knee to the image made of gold. Even if it meant killing themselves in the process!

Ah, but isn't it just like God. To show up at just the appointed time! Yes. He is never late, seldom early, but always on time.

Let's break it down a bit further and take a look at what these young men really did. They faced a powerful enemy who wanted to harm them for the conviction of their hearts. Which was to only worship the Living God. Nothing else. No one else. Moreover, to fully understand this, you must understand why they stood their ground; what for really? Couldn't they have 'bowed' and God have 'seen' their heart. No friends. Faith that is real and alive - needs evidence. Evidence equals works. Therefore their faith was NOT DEAD but ALIVE!! This is the kind of faith that we need. Faith that is real. Faith you can touch. And the kind of faith that can be applied to our everyday lives.

This faith is the kind of faith that fuels our worship.

And the thing that fuels faith is the Love of God in our hearts. Which has been shed abroad for all to receive freely.

Anyway, it sounds a bit like what these young men also had was perspective. A clear perspective of an all powerful God. The kind of God who is faithful. If He said it, shall He NOT do it. If He said it, shall it NOT come to pass? For us, we have to maintain this outlook; this perspective of faith. Where we know the Enemy, who has come to ‘kill, steal, & destroy’ and goes around about like a ‘roaring lion’ seeking whom he may devour is NOT an all powerful equal to God. He is a defeated foe. Perhaps, I would argue that the Bible talks to us about fighting the 'good fight' of faith. And yes, the Enemy will do whatever it takes to get us to bow to a golden image (fill in the blank ____fear, failure, success, greed, sexual immorality; etc.) - whatever that may look like to you, just as long as we only bow & worship this 'false god'. The Enemy is not saying, “don’t worship God” but in actuality he is saying, “in addition to worshipping God, also worship this golden image!” You know that golden image that we try and justify - ie. those people who hurt me; I'm justified in my anger - in my bitterness. No friends. That only is hurting ourselves. These young Hebrew men, are still teaching us how to hear the call of worship. And let our faith rise higher! Our perspective get clearer - and allow God to be God all by Himself. He is worthy of our worship! Let me say this about worship:

When we worship' God. We are ascribing value to Him. We set our affection on Him fully. And in turn, we become more like the object of our worship. We become more like Him. Men and women of faith that are NOT moved by these temporary and light afflictions; but have transfixed our gaze on the glory that awaits us.

I'm sure, that these Hebrew men knew if God would of let them die, the glory that awaited them was far greater than the temporary fire they were facing. The Enemy will spew out his lies in order to make us believe them and skew our view of God’s nature. Once this happens, then we let begin to lose our perspective. We cannot afford to lose our perspective. Because if we don’t have our perspective, then we begin to lose our faith. And that my friends cannot happen. That good fight of faith, has already been won!! So don't let some tricky deceiver shake you. Stand on Jesus. He is the rock of our salvation.

In conclusion...

What I love about this passage of scripture is how these wildly passionate young men faced such clear opposition, but nevertheless were NOT easily shaken in their faith and belief in a God of Wonders who still delivers. They definitely had the right perspective of their God, who showed himself as “faithful” & strong. They had this crazy like faith & an attitude that was everything; but unshakable, unmovable, & unstoppable!

Yes, these young men lived by a principle. That is, that God is the one who saves us. He saves, He heals, He restores, & He delivers us like no one else can! He alone is deserving of our full attention, our full worship & adoration, & even our full devotion!

Key Verse:

"There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

Daniel 4:29

Application Questions:
Are there any lies you have believed the Enemy about God’s nature?
Could there be some place or an area in your life where the Enemy has gotten you to bow?
Is it time to confess our false view of God’s nature to God Himself?
Lastly, confession, Prayer, Scripture reading, Becoming a part of a small group, seeking Godly counsel, all can help us to have a greater dependency & trust in Christ.

Prayer:

Father, make us more like you. Help us to trust in You always. To not be fearful of what is to come, but to be of good courage. To keep fighting the good fight of faith; knowing that it is us fighting from a place of victory. Jesus, be the rock of our lives and the center of our affection towards You. We love you. In Jesus' name. Amen!

As We Worship!

Listening to... Spontaneous Worship w/ Amanda Cook Bethel Church

As we worship...and as we come to Jesus. There is a freedom that takes place. Freedom like no other, b/c of the finished work of the cross. Now, although it may feel sometimes like hope seems dim in certain times of our lives, but in reality we have all the HOPE we need.

He has given us, "faith, hope, & love." Meaning He gives generously. Jesus has given enough hope to last a lifetime. What happens sometimes is we lose perspective on what is real. Jesus. His love. His acceptance. His victory over sin & death & the grave! He has overcome. Trials & tribulations are but for a moment. It is important to hear & obey on James' admonishment to count it all joy when we encounter such various trials & tribulations. The first gift we must abide in is faith, because it leads to hope, which then leads to love. And since God is merciful, He gifts us with opportunities to let our faith be refined in order to get to hope, which then leads to love as I've said. The true mark of us being His disciples will be shown to the world by the love we have & demonstrate towards each other. It initially begins with us counting it all joy. So the faith refinement can happen.

What a concept. To worship Him. Something so intimate to do, because He made a way through His blood shed. Making us righteous before our heavenly Father. This process of being refined in our faith encourages us to count it all joy when we encounter all kinds of various trials & tribulations is key & essential in our daily worship. The act, the posture of worship is one that begins in our hearts through the Spirit & His Word.

As we come in by His Spirit to the moment of encountering His presence, through His Truth - we begin to ascribe value to Him. To put worth where worth is due. Now He is worthy altogether. He has not need of us, but delights in us. So when we worship. We find Him anew. Everytime. Without fail. He reveals a new portion of who He is. Wonder sets in. Mystery takes place. As we worship, the name above all names. The Risen Son. The Christ. Jesus.

Psalm 95:6

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker

He is the Shepherd. We are the sheep of His pasture. He takes care of us. I think part of the freedom that I initially mentioned at the beginning of this blog comes with knowing that in that freedom there is safety. There is security. There is comfort. There is stillness. Green pastures. The promise of NEW LIFE! As we worship, we magnify Him. And all of a sudden our 'trial' - our 'tribulation' then begins to take a backseat & is no longer the deciding factor that plays a major role in our daily lives. But Jesus is.


Let's pray...

Jesus. Shine your light on us. Lift up the light of your countenance upon your people. Let Hope come in & have its way! Let Hope fill our hearts & permeate thoroughly. Let us be drenched with Love. And as our Faith is refined. Let us continue to run this race of faith with endurance. Not wavering, but letting the promise of the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with an added measure of joy. Let joy fill us so we can count it all joy for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Is This The Time?

Listening to Sovereign (Deluxe Edition) by Michael W. Smith https://itun.es/us/IxEWZ

Second Kings chapter five has a very peculiar story about the healing of a commander army general named Naaman. A man who was greatly admired by his king. A man who had been used by The Lord to achieve great victories for his nation. 

[See 2 Kings 5:1-27 NLT]

Through a series of occurrences this great army commander finds himself healed & on his way back to his country. After a simple act of obedience by the word of the prophet. Elisha, one of Israel's true prophets had sent forth instructions for Naaman to receive his healing; & after some hesitation, took heed of it. And this is where I want to bring some light into our story. 

Naaman was filled with joy & wanted to bless the prophet with many gifts but Elisha would not have it. Gehazi, Elisha's servant however felt differently. And figured that 'this time', his master had missed it. His master should have at least taken a small gift or something of that sort. Gehazi therefore demonstrates his greed after his conclusion of his master's "mistake." 

He says, to himself, "My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as The Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him." Then he takes off in a chase after this man's chariot to insinuate & say to the commanding officer that the prophet, his master had other prophets visiting & will be needing 75 lbs of silver & two sets of clothing. Not only is this servant being deceitful, but also he is making his master look bad. As if the prophet had genuinely changed his mind. 

Let's pick up In the last two verses...

v26 "But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow. (2 Kings 5:26, 27 NLT) [Italics used for emphasis]

I love how Elisha is so precise in his conversation with his servant & shows us a timely lesson here. A great reminder to us that for everything there is a time in heaven & on earth. There is not anything inherently wrong with receiving. Jesus does teach us, that it is better to give than to receive. Yes, certainly greater joy comes from giving. True. But also, when someone is giving; on the other end- somebody else is receiving. So again, the error here was not in the receiving of something. It became a heart issue, due to its timing. Timing in its essence represents wisdom. And displays the condition of the heart. 

So when the fullness of time has come- "it" - "he or she" will come. It says in the psalms that if we commit everything we do to The Lord & trust Him, then He will help us. [see Ps. 37:5 NLT]

His help is should mean more than anything else. Since His help is a representation of His presence; His empowerment to live how He wants us to live. By His Holy Spirit to do, to say, & to embrace what He wants us to. Ultimately, Him being the end result as our reward. Jesus. And everything He wants to give to us, but all in His time. 

Prayer/Commitment:

Father, today. We commit everything, & that means everything to you. And we trust you believing that you will help us causing your favor to be poured out daily in our lives. Allow this lesson about timing to sink deep into our hearts & help us to walk wisely & humbly before you - through Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

God Will See You Through

Listening to the Elevation Network as I type these words...

God will see you through. Sometimes I think we'd rather not have to go 'through' whatever it is that we are going through. Ha, nice try - but in His mercy He loves us too much not to allow us to go through things, or "trials" as mentioned in scripture. Simply because He is more interested in us being more like Him than like our broken selves.

A few days ago, I got to praying this:

"Oh Lord, may people only see you when they see me." 

Or something like that. And after I heard myself say it aloud, I kind of freaked out a bit. Not because I don't desire to look more like my Father, but because the process sometimes can be just that...a process. I guess not so pleasant at times, mainly cause it involves dying. Dying to self, as our LORD Himself admonishes us to do, by taking up our cross & following Him.

These words - "Follow me." rang in the ears of twelve simple, common, folk like you & me. Twelve regular Joe-s that would one day help change the course of history forever. They took up their cross, drank from the cup of the Master. And fulfilled God's purpose for their lives to their generation. These honorable Christ imitators had to go through their fair share of difficulties. Some of them, really most of them; would end up going to their death as martyrs for Jesus. I'd say, that qualifies them as a people needing God to see them through it.

See, the Psalmist says it like this in the 23rd Psalm verse 4:

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, 

I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. 

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (NLT)

He gets it. He knows that God will see him through. Saying it a little bit differently, here the Psalmist is indeed saying that the "darkest valley" is only but temporary. Perhaps, a blip of time or rather a longer journey. Irregardless, the place of pain, the dreaded trial is but for a moment. God will see him through. God will see us through. So even though we may walk "through" the darkest valley - oh yes. We shall not fear, because "God with us" Emmanuel is always faithful - He is always with us. In the text, he keeps on going & declaring...

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me

Wow, now there's a promise. It's very comforting to me to read this. Because when I read this I get a sense of God being near. God being close. Down there, that place of horror, that place of despair -- when it seems like the light of day may never come. Yes! He will see you through. He will see You through. He will see You through. Even 'til the end. 

You & I have two simple choices. Stay in faith or not stay in faith. So what if _____ (fill in the blank) doesn't happen & I believed for nothing. Then what 'preacher'? Well, great question -- but what if you stay in faith, & the miraculous happens. Now, I'm not saying that it will always work how you'd want it to work when you stay in faith, but what I am saying is that your faith is the precious pearl here - worth the refinement that happens when we go through the thick stuff. I believe that no amount of faith is wasted. Never. I believe that God uses it all for His glory. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it doesn't feel good. But it is always, I repeat always towards the good plan that God has for us as His children. See Jeremiah 29:11.

He is good. He is good to all. It is who He is. What we are going through, or have to go through, or have gone through does not change who God is. He is the same yesterday, today, & forever. This is the God of love who loved the world so much so - that He would dare send His willing & obedient Son to die to redeem those who believe in Him. I know, and am confident that He will continue to be good to us & see us through. Many of times, we are crying out & saying 'God I just need a break, please give me a break!' but rather we are most in need of a breakthrough. And guess how the breakthrough comes? By staying in faith. That subtle confidence that helps bring God's grace to carry us through. His grace is enough. God will see you through. Stay in faith.

Prayer:

Father who art in Heaven. Hallowed by thy name, Your Kingdom come, in my life. Your will be done. Thank you that You give me the daily bread that I need, the daily mercies, the daily sustenance to help me go through whatever I need to go through. Lord, help me to forgive those who hurt me, or sin against me as you do the same for me when I hurt you & sin against You. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom, the glory & the power forever & ever. Amen.

With Love. And thanks for reading along. 

Blessings,

Daniel 

Listen to this Blog as an MP3 here.