Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Lord, You Are Worthy of Adoration 
 Daniel 6: 19 – 28Mathew George

Carmel MTC, Boston

“....For he is the living God,  enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed,  and his dominion has no end.  27. He delivers and rescues,  he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;”

 
Ah, the word Adoration… one of the most beautiful words in English literature…. Adoration (Latin) means respect, reverence, strong admiration, or devotion in a certain person, place or thing. It is one of the most natural thing that we do as humans. We can witness this from the fans at football games, cheering and chanting when the player's score and especially when their favorite team wins a close game.

However, in the life of a Christian, true adoration is reserved for God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, who gives us life everlasting, provisioning us with His abundant Grace and sustaining us in our daily life. When we adore God, a true transformation takes place in us. We are no longer held captive to the concerns of our daily life; our hearts are lifted up to the heavens. We can stay at that transcendent level, lifting up our faces to see the majesty of God Almighty. We can renew our spirit anew by the Grace of His presence, His holiness and loving kindness.

The book of Daniel teaches us the profound lesson that God works through the lives of ordinary people to accomplish His desires. Earthly kingdoms may rise and fall, but God and His Word will last forever. The book of Daniel teaches us that if we will commit our lives to God, good will triumph over evil. In Chapter 6 we see that Daniel is now serving under a new king named Darius. Like many kings before him, King Darius soon came to recognize Daniel’s talents and wisdom. So Darius chose Daniel to be one of only three administrators who governed his kingdom.

The story continues that Daniel's enemies then devised a devious plan to have the king issue a royal decree that would result in the execution of anyone in the kingdom who would pray to any god but to him. We all know where this drama finally ends up – Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. It was clear that King Darius did this cowardly act with regret but he had no choice.  In verse 16 we read that the king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you”. The king knew Daniel’s faith in God. When Daniel was facing this crisis, the pagan king said in effect, Daniel, “your God will see you through this”.
Verse 18 says that “the king returned to his place and spent the night without eating…And he couldn’t sleep”. Each one of us knows that experience; that is, we can’t sleep when we are so worried.

There are two lessons Daniel’s experience teaches us –
1. God’s tests are often designed to confront us with the reality of our own limitations. Humanly speaking, Daniel’s situation was hopeless, he was thrown into the lion’s den. But Daniel’s close relationship with God gave him the courage to face this grievous situation with courage. It appears that the lion’s den is as much a story of King Darius as well, an unwilling participant who is unable to compromise with his own decision.

2. God’s tests are intended to lead us into deeper levels of dependence on Him. Throughout the Scriptures, we learn that trials in life are to be responded to, not by hiding from them, but by drawing nearer to God in faith. We can rest assured that there are nothing in life that we can’t overcome if we have the utmost faith in God.

PRAYER

Father, we adore You. Search our hearts, help us to see the areas where our faith is lacking. Let our plans be Your plans so that we can walk and live in the abundant life You have prepared for us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
 
“Be great believers! Little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven down into your soul”.Charles Spurgeon

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more