Daniel 3:16 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.”
The key word in this verse, to glean the full thought of today’s devotion, is careful. Defined by Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, careful means to be anxious and cautious. Jesus himself used the word when He described Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, in Luke 10:41.
So why weren’t these three Hebrew men anxious and/or cautious in defying the king, denouncing his gods, and rejecting the golden image which he commanded them to worship? Keep in mind, that at the time of their answer they had already been made aware of the punishment that awaited them (the fiery furnace).
The answer is simple. The Word of God. In fact, their reason was in fact two of the oldest instructions from Jehovah to the Israelites; and furthermore, were the first two commandments of the law that were written onto stone tablets by the very finger of God. The first of the Ten Commandments delivered to Moses on top of Mount Sinai after God delivered His people out of Egypt. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” & “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image …”
Why weren’t the Hebrews anxious? Why didn’t they fear the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar? Because the Word of God and the conviction that it brings.
These Hebrews are our ensample for what Paul later instructed the church to do, also. To speak with boldness. When confronted with something that we know is wrong, unethical, immoral, carnal or sinful we must not be careful in how we answer. Regardless of whom stands before us, the power that they wield, or the ramifications that await us, we must stand resolute in faith and speak with conviction.
The key does not rest in your individual skills as an orator, rather your boldness and conviction are rooted in the Word of God. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but God’s Word will not. If you are confronted with anything that contradicts the Word, we must not be careful to answer it with truth. If you know what the Word says, if you believe in the supreme God who penned the Word and meant for us to adhere to it, and you fear God more than you fear man … you will answer in boldness and conviction. Why? Because the Word, and Spirit of God, have convicted (or convinced) your soul of the necessity to abide by the Word; because, you understand that the Word is life and peace to this world; and, because you would rather stand at the Judgement Seat of Christ knowing that you when others tried to force ungodliness, you stood for what was right.
In closing, there are two conditions that we must purpose to abide by. First, understanding that I am a disciple and ambassador of Christ, I know that I am responsible to know the entirety of the whole council of God’s Word. How else can I hope to know what God expects of me if I am ignorant of the examples He left for me in the Bible? Second, it is important to only answer in this manner when someone infringes upon my rights to follow God and worship Him. Running up and down the road and telling each person of their shortcoming before God will only cause undue controversy and strife for the cause of Christ. My everyday testimony as a written epistle to the world should be evidence enough of God’s miraculous impact on my soul.
Nevertheless, when an employer tries to mitigate your ability to practice holy truths, when society tries to curtail our ability to worship in spirit and in truth, when others claim that our God is the same as their deity, and when accused of being closeminded and bigoted, WE MUST NOT BE CAREFUL TO ANSWER WITH TRUTH.
Your fellowservant in Christ,
Bro. Jordan Foster
コメント