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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 16 October 2023:
Note: Here is a short video overview of Daniel: https://youtu.be/9cSC9uobtPM
Daniel 1:3, 4 – Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Through perilous times, God’s faithful servants remained excellent in all things (1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 8:7; Colossians 3:23, 24; Ecclesiastes 9:10). They stood out not only spiritually but in every way. Therefore, Daniel and his friends had a unique advantage in service to God. God calls us to be excellent in all things too, increasing our influence that we would bring Him greater glory on earth. Do you strive for excellence in every way?
Daniel 1:8 – But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Though a captive in a pagan land after Babylon’s attack on Jerusalem, Daniel managed to keep himself completely pure before the Lord. He “resolved” to do this. Daniel did not let himself feel “defeated” nor did he allow the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship with the Lord. He knew that to make his life useful to God he had to strive to be obedient in all things. Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what he knew God required of him. How resolved are you to remain pure?
- 2 Timothy 2:20-21 — Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Consider the circumstances Daniel faced: His nation had been conquered by a ruthless, seemingly unstoppable kingdom, and he had been taken into captivity. Now, consider his response to these circumstances – faith, hope, and loving obedience to God which glorified God and would be used mightily by God. How are you responding to your circumstances? Do you have the faith and hope to believe that God, who has called you to Himself, has equipped you with His Spirit, and has called you in this time to proclaim the Gospel and to serve as His messenger and minister of reconciliation will work mightily through you in any circumstances? Do you have the faith, hope, and love to remain holy, pure, faithful, and obedient right where God has placed you so you can glorify Him?
World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are at this time in history for a purpose. Biblical history (His story) is replete with examples of faithful Christian men and women through whom God worked to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God strategically placed Joseph to become the most powerful adviser to the pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Gen. 41:39-40). Through unimaginable circumstances, God raised up Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt’s oppressive bondage (Exodus 1-15). God placed Esther strategically in the king’s court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God’s people (Esther 4:14) – the list continues…. How might God use you for His glory where you are today? Are you allowing your circumstances to define you or the reality of God’s Sovereignty, who you are in Christ, and what God has called and equipped you to do? Are you making the most of every opportunity to glorify God in your generation?
Daniel 1:12 — Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Some popular diet books have tried to suggest that Daniel desired a vegetarian diet to stay healthy, but that wasn’t the case at all. The King’s meat would have been meat sacrificed to idols – the finest meat available and very nutritious. However, Daniel was committed to not defiling himself with meat sacrificed to idols. His harsh, extreme vegetarian diet worried the “chief of the eunuchs” for good reason, but God honored Daniel’s fidelity. These verses aren’t intended to promote a vegan lifestyle.* In fact, after the flood, God desired His people to eat meat, even during religious ceremony as is described and regulated throughout the Bible. These verses demonstrate what great lengths Daniel took (risking his life) to remain pure and faithful to the Lord, no matter what everyone else did.
* Whether we are talking about nutrition, adornment, courtesies, or any other social choices, we must be very careful not to interpret the Bible out of context to validate human wisdom and everchanging social norms. Don’t allow popular fads restrict from your life what God has blessed or invite into your life what God has forbidden.
Daniel 2:44, 45 — And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold.
We are subjects of God’s Kingdom, and we are called to be the KING’s ambassadors “in the days of those kings.” Even the United States is one of “those” kingdoms. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God, a much higher calling than any national loyalties. God calls us to obey government, but to remain faithful to Him and His Kingdom above all else.
God’s Kingdom is everlasting and eternal and exists amongst the worldly kingdoms, though it will not be fully realized on earth until Christ’s return; it is not like other kingdoms and will never be destroyed. Jesus announced, “the kingdom of God has come upon you (has been revealed and made available to you)…. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…. The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Matthew 12:28; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:20, 21) Furthermore, concerning God’s true church, the Bible says He has “made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10) God’s people “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” among the nations, preparing the way for the return of the King. (1 Peter 2:9) Micah 5:7-9 describes a global, spiritual insurgency for the Lord – “Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.” Of course, this insurgency is not violent like that envisioned by the Islamists but rather is spiritual – “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) Also, we don’t win the victory, Christ does when He returns. What role are you playing in the advancement of the Kingdom?
1 Peter 5:2 – Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Countless books have been written on leadership – too many to number. Amazon offers around 60,000 books with the word “leadership” in the title, and it has been estimated that about four new books on leadership are published each day. However, all you really need to know about the principles of leadership is contained in the Bible – “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-13)
1 Peter 5 is an amazing chapter on leadership from which countless books could be written, but why muddy the waters of God’s pure word? “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?” (Ezekiel 34:18, 19) Hoping not to muddy the waters, here are a few thoughts from today’s readings that came to mind –
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you….” Someone once said, “If you can’t stand the smell of sheep, don’t be a shepherd.” Leadership is a sacrificial commitment to take care of those who are less capable, less understanding, less disciplined, less committed, etc. Leadership then, requires great patience since, by definition, those you lead will continually fail to meet your personal standard – if they were at your level, they wouldn’t need you to lead. Shepherds are not to be harsh and overly domineering but rather are to be humble, gentle and understanding. When we become impatient and harsh with those we lead, it is because we have lost perspective of our own sheep-ness and of our own reliance on the grace of our Good Shepherd.
“…the flock that is among you….” The work of the shepherd isn’t glamorous or spectacular as the shepherd (pastor, minister, parent, employer, teacher, small group leader) cares for the small flock, usually a small group of ordinary people, God has placed around him or her. These shepherds aren’t orchestrating big movements, events, or advertising campaigns, just discipling a small group of people to follow Jesus. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is our model for leadership. Many around Jesus wanted him to lead a big movement, but Jesus focused on training up his small group of disciples, the flock among him, so they could be fully equipped, multiply, and spread the Gospel throughout the world. This style of humble, servant leadership is often beneath those who want to be prominent leaders, but humility and selflessness are essential qualities for true leadership.
“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) Sometimes it seems like everyone wants to be the leader. Pridefully, many people seek greater leadership for personal recognition or gain, but this is not shepherding. Leading sheep isn’t glamorous work, and it isn’t for the prideful. In fact, the greatest leaders are usually unrecognized because they are quietly but powerfully investing in the lives of people who others might view as insignificant. Ironically though, only those with the heart to lead in small places are worthy to lead in big places. A. W. Tozer observed, “‘If you are too big for a little place, you are too little for a big place.’ It is an odd rule of the kingdom of God that when we try to get big, we always get smaller by the moment. God is jealous of His glory and will not allow anyone to share it with Him. The effort to appear great will bring the displeasure of God upon us and effectively prevent us from achieving the greatness after which we pant. Humility pleases God wherever it is found, and the humble person will have God for his or her friend and helper always. Only the humble are completely sane, for they are the only ones who see clearly their own size and limitations. Egotists see things out of focus. To themselves they are large and God is correspondingly small, and that is a kind of moral insanity.”
- Matthew 20:26-28 — But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
- Proverbs 12:9 — Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.
- Matthew 11:29 — Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Romans 12:16 — Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
- James 1:9 — Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation….
1 Peter 5:6, 7 – Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
The humility required by God of a leader includes not only a heart which “count[s] others more significant than [oneself],” and looks out for “the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4),” but which also isn’t anxious because the leader trusts in God to provide rather than the leader’s own abilities – “It isn’t about you, and it doesn’t depend on you.” Few people recognize that anxiety is a pride problem. How can the Bible say that anxiety comes from pride? Pride leads a person to believe that they control their circumstances, that their fate depends on their own abilities. Anxiety is the realization they are not really in control, that their abilities are not enough, and their hope in self is futile. The anxious person is a prideful sheep that has wandered away from the Good Shepherd and is starting to realize that they have no idea where they are and that they are defenseless against the wolves of life. The wandering, defenseless sheep isn’t the one you want to follow. The answer to anxiety is to humbly return to the Good Shepherd and rest in His guidance and protection. The job of the humble sheep is to trust, obey, and follow closely as the Shepherd leads to green pastures. (see Psalm 23) The one who is closely following the Good Shepherd isn’t worried and is the one you want to follow.
“Peter had walked with the risen Christ, and he had personally experienced the love that Jesus had for His followers. He knew that Christ was in control, capable of handling every trial and that He wanted to do so as an expression of His love. Casting our cares is a choice. It means consciously handing over our anxiety to Christ and allowing Him to carry the weight of our problems. At times this is the most difficult part of trusting God! We don’t like turning over the responsibility for our problems. We have been taught that self-reliance is good and praiseworthy. We may even enjoy worrying. Yet if we are to be freed from the burden of our concerns, we must choose to cast them into the strong hands of our Father. Peter does not distinguish between little cares and big cares. God does not differentiate between problems we should handle on our own and God-sized needs. He asks us to turn them all over to Him. One of our greatest errors is to assume we can deal with something ourselves, only to discover that we really can’t. God sees you as His frail child [or lamb], burdened with a load that surpasses your strength. He stands prepared to take your load and to carry it for you. Will you let Him?” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Today’s readings say we must shepherd by being an example, by following the example and direction of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. We must lead those constantly wandering sheep as Jesus leads us in our constant wandering. And we must shepherd our flock along the right path. Someone once said, “Leaders know the way and show the way.” Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” If you are not leading your flock to Jesus, you are not being a good shepherd, a true leader.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 16 October 2023: Today, pray that you will worship and glorify God wholeheartedly and share the Gospel in a powerful way. Shepherd, lead others, by humbly following the Good Shepherd and His example and by leading others to Him.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 