THE LORD SPOKE (November 30)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Daniel 3

“Don’t even bother tunin’ the fiddles; we ain’t bowin’.”

The three lads had just seen and heard a miraculous divine intervention (Dan. 2). They were ready for this. When wicked King Nebuchadnezzar (how could he be so blind again already?) started building the infamous statue in the Plain of Dura, it was like deja vu all over again. Steeled by their friend Daniel’s resolve, they were ready to take their stand. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were pre-determined not to bow.

Do you have that kind of resolve? Are you prepared to stay strong when fiery trials come your way? You probably won’t face any furnaces but those people at the office can sure turn up the heat. You may not be bound with ropes but they can sure get you tied up in knots. It may not be as hot as what the three Hebrews faced but they can make your ears burn seven times over. In order to face such a test, you’ll need the same strength that we find here in Daniel 3.

1. Make sure your strength is in the Lord, not in yourself or some other undependable source (“the God we serve is able to save us”, vs. 17). You must begin with that Grip - anything less will slip.
2. Anchor your soul on that and then hold your ground, come hell or high water (“even if He does not...we will not serve your gods”, vs. 18). You can be sure that the prince of hell will do his best to put your resolve to the test. When the Devil comes knocking, resist him in the strength of the Lord.
3. Be prepared for it to get worse (“these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace”, vs. 23). Satan won’t be happy. He won’t give up easily. But he is a defeated foe and you can trust in the victory that God will provide. It will get worse before it gets better.
4. Maintain your walk with the Lord and watch all the troubles fall down dead in their tracks (“four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed”, vs. 25). All the troubles? Yes. They will still be there but God is far bigger than the biggest of them and, riding His shoulders, you are above them too. He gives the grace to overcome.
5. When you come out the other end, be prepared for a greater ministry and greater blessing from the Lord (“so [they] came out of the fire...then the king promoted [them]”, vs. 26,30). If you’ve faced and overcome that trial in the strength of the Lord, He will lift you up and allow you to be used again, and again.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - three young men a long way from home. It would have been a lot easier to just be quiet and ride the situation through without resistance. But then, we wouldn’t be reading about them 2,600 years later. Do you have a testimony that will last that long?


Psalms 149-150

Though He allowed men in the Old Testament to construct a Temple to represent His presence, God made it clear from the start that He did “not dwell in a house” (II Sam. 7:6). It was instead, “a place of rest for the ark of the covenant” and “the footstool of our God” (I Chron. 28:2). In truth, God’s sanctuary is “his mighty heavens” (Ps. 150:1). This is WHERE God should be praised.

The psalm goes on to tell us WHY God should be praised - “for his acts of power...for his surpassing greatness” (Ps. 150:2). There is none like Him!

The middle of the psalm (Psalm 150:3-5) tells us HOW we should praise God and the whole orchestra is involved. Eight different kinds of musical instruments are mentioned and they include a variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments. Tucked in the middle of the band is “dancing”. Is that alright?

The psalm concludes - in fact, the whole book concludes - with WHO should praise God. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Ps. 150:6). That’s pretty inclusive.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
Martin Rinkart

THE LORD SPOKE (November 28)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Daniel 1

To survive in a foreign land, you need...

(1) companions (vs. 6-7) - From day one, God did not make us to stand alone. We function best in groups of two or more. The team concept is well established throughout Scripture (e.g. Jesus and his disciples; Paul and his ministry teams in Acts) and is a principle wisely followed on the mission field. Daniel and his friends were stronger because they had each other.

(2) convictions (vs. 8) - These are an anchor for the soul when “doubts and fears assail”. You better have them before you need them because they’re not easy to acquire on the battlefield. They come from a steady walk with the Lord, grounded in His Word.

(3) courage (vs. 12) - Trials will come; that’s never in question. Will your anchor hold? The courage and will to go on comes from strong convictions and grows in direct proportion to your relationship with the Lord, for He is the only legitimate source of life-sustaining courage.

(4) consistency (vs. 15) - Dependable, persistent, steadfast, undeviating, true, unfailing, responsible, constant, faithful, tried-and-true, stable, trustworthy - sounds like someone you’d want as a friend, doesn’t it? God also is pleased with these character qualities.

(5) confidence in God - Underlying the whole chapter, this is the secret of success! If we trust in man or in ourselves, we will probably fail. Confidence in the Lord will be rewarded every time.

The book of Daniel is not a “missionary text” but it certainly has some applications. Even the qualities which Nebuchadnezzar looked for in choosing the Hebrew servants (1:4) are very similar to any missionary manual you might pick up on the subject of qualifications for foreign service. Thankfully, God does make many notable exceptions at this point and has found ways to use many supposedly unqualified servants. Nevertheless, like Daniel and his companions, a good missionary candidate should have...

• youthful vigor
• good health and physical condition
• a congenial, out-going personality
• a high IQ
• a solid general education
• an ability to learn quickly and to adapt to new circumstances
• specific training for the task at hand
• a grasp of the language and literature (= culture!) of the people he’s working with

In missionary service, perhaps the primary qualification is a willingness to go. Daniel and his friends didn’t volunteer for their “foreign service” but, once in Babylon, they didn’t look back. Sure, they longed for home but they dedicated themselves to the task at hand. Will you?


Psalms 145-146

The hallelujah chorus has started. All the psalms from 146 through 150 begin and end with “Praise the Lord”. Every aspect of creation, using every kind of instrument, at every time and occasion, during every moment of life is called to praise the Lord. Here in Psalm 146, the psalmist proclaims he’ll continue to do so for as long as he lives (Ps. 146:2).

He praises God as CREATOR (vs. 6). The Maker of heaven and earth is steadfast and secure. He is our helper so our home is in Him. Because He “remains faithful forever” we have nothing to fear. Unlike every other prince (vs. 3) or object of trust, His Spirit never departs. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His plans are eternal and unfailing.

He praises the Lord as LIBERATOR (vs. 7). Because God “loves the righteous”, He “upholds”, “sets free”, and “lifts up” those who honor Him and put their trust in Him. He “sets prisoners free”. Whatever it is that binds you - a sin-marred past, a guilty conscience, a debilitating habit - He is able and desiring to liberate you if you’ll but ask Him.

He praises Jehovah as PROVIDER (vs. 8-9). The Lord delights in the weak and the needy - the “oppressed”, “hungry”, “prisoners”, “blind”, “bowed down”, “alien”, “fatherless”, and “widow”. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He will surely care for you.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting, thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Isaac Watts

THE LORD SPOKE (October 19)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 20-22

Jeremiah 22:16 - “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.

This theme is oft-repeated in Scripture. So much so that you come away with the impression that it’s quite important to God!

Psalm 82:3-4 - “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Proverbs 31:9 - “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Romans 15:1 - “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”

James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress....”

This is more than just cheering for the underdog. It’s certainly more than tossing a quarter in the Salvation Army pot.

Who might be the “poor and needy” in your circle of influence? Certainly children would count (especially unborn infants). Obviously the handicapped. Even the physically weak, or the not-so-good-looking or not-particularly-endowed, i.e. the ones who often get shunned or picked on in our society. Foreigners would frequently qualify. The Bible specifically mentions widows. And, of course, there are lots of people around us who don’t have much to live on - maybe not even much to eat or wear.

You could...

• speak up (on their behalf)
• turn up (to support them)
• cheer up (those who are down-trodden)
• fix up (their broken world)

or maybe...

• shut down (the forces that are working against them).

Then you could...

• find out (what they need most)
• throw out (the bad attitudes you’ve developed against them yourself)
• turn out (to combat those who put them down)
• lash out (against their oppressors - that’s not unbiblical, you know! You just don't use the weapons of this world to do so. See II Cor. 10:3-5.)

or even...

• stick in (a good word for them, about them, and to them).

There does seem to be quite a lot we can do to defend the cause of the poor and needy!


Psalms 65-66

“Make his praise glorious!” (Ps. 66:2). That’s an argument for the finest of special music on Sunday. No more of this shoddy, unprepared, half-hearted performance that makes the listener grit his teeth and hope for the last flat note. Certainly, no more of this performance that draws attention to the performer.

But it’s an argument for excellence in other things as well. God, who made us, is pleased whenever we do things with perfection. He takes delight in a painting well-painted, in a cake well-baked and decorated, in a project well-planned and well-executed. Sure, it can be done for selfish and wrong motives and for the praise of self. But when done with the desire to honor Him, it is the highest form of praise. Words of praise are turned into acts which exalt the Lord and draw attention to His attributes. Others are able to see His glory too and are encouraged to praise Him.

How can we ensure that our praise is genuine and makes Him yet more glorious?

1. Talk about Him. The psalm says “shout” (vs. 1), “sing” (vs. 2), and “cry out” (vs. 17). Brag on the Lord; tell others what He has done.
2. Review the past. Consider His awesome works as recorded in the Bible (vs. 5-6). Remember what He has done for you (vs. 9,16).
3. Come to Him. Draw near and consider His goodness. Cast yourself upon His graces. Submit to Him. Give Him full control of your disposition.
4. Confess your sin. Nothing will destroy this communion more quickly than unconfessed sin (vs. 18) and nothing will make it more sweet than confessed sin and the warmth of forgiveness that follows.
5. Keep your word. Vows are not wrong - unkept vows are! Make some promises to God and then keep them (vs. 13-14).
6. Stay close to the fire. The refiner’s fire will purge you; the restorer’s fire will warm you; and the redeemer’s fire will ignite your soul.