When You Are Lonely, God is With You

Introduction
            As you may have read in my previous blogs, the Babylonian empire conquered the Kingdom of Judea around 600 BC.  They destroyed the capital of Jerusalem and burned their temple to the ground.  All Jews who were not killed in the battle were taken captive back to Babylon.  The best and brightest like the biblical figures Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were forced to serve as advisors in the Babylonian empire.  They were given new Babylonian names and forced to live as Babylonians.  The hope was they would be completely assimilated and forget the homeland ever existed. 
            Daniel and his friends must have felt lonely.  What makes you feel lonely?  Have you lost someone you care about?  Do you feel like no one thinks or believes like you anymore?  Are you facing a battle no one else really understands--even those who try to be kind and support you?  Are you a leader or a parent (which can sometimes be a very a lonely job)?  Today, I want you to know when you are lonely, God is with you.
            King Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon when Daniel and his friends were taken into captivity, but his reign did not last forever.  Others succeeded him like King Belshazzar.  (There is a really cool story in Daniel Chapter 5 where Belshazzar literally saw "the writing on the wall" just before his life ended.  It's a great read and it is the story from which we get the expression "Can't you see the writing on the wall?")  As Babylonian power began to wane in the world (all worldly kingdoms come and go), it created a power vacuum where variousl kingdoms and leader vied for power.  Of those clamouring for the top were the Medes and the Persians. 
            Daniel 6 tells of a person called Darius the Mede.  Historians are not sure who he is.  It's possible he was a general of the Mede’s who conquered Belshazzar (or who ruled for a time in the power vacuum after Babylon fell).  He is called King Darius, but we get the sense that his status as "king" is a precarious one.  One thing's for sure.  It’s lonely at the top.  You are responsible for taking care of the kingdom while also fighting off everyone who wants to take your place.
           We also see Daniel in chapter 6.  He is a, a follower of the One True God of the Bible.  Daniel is older now than he was in the previous chapters of the book.  He has survived multiple kings and kingdoms.  Through it all, he has been highly respected by them all for his ability and most of all his integrity.  
  
 Daniel 6:1-18
¹Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. ² The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. ³ Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

⁴ Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. ⁵ So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

⁶ So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! ⁷ We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. ⁸ And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” ⁹ So King Darius signed the law.

¹⁰ But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. ¹¹ Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. ¹² So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”

“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”

¹³ Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

¹⁴ Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

¹⁵ In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”

¹⁶ So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.

[I’m going to stop the story here.  If you want to hear the rest of the story, you’ll have to check back next Sunday.  Today, our task is to wrestle with the lonely night Daniel spent in the lion’s den.  If we jump to the end of the story too quickly, we might miss what God wants to say to us today, which is this:  When you are lonely, God is with you.]

King of the Hill
            When I was a kid, I used to play a game called king of the hill.  There was a dirt mound hill in the play ground and all the kids would scramble and fight their way to the top. Whoever made it to the top first was "king of the hill."  Now the kings job was to stay at the top by fighting off all the challengers.  Everyone else's job was to dethrone the king and take his place. 
            Now, if we'd been smart, we would have built alliances and worked together.  The king could have enlisted a few helpers by giving them some special privileges in return for their helping in fighting off the challengers.  3 or 4 peole working together would have more success than on lone king trying to defend his hilltop.
            It seems that is what Darius decided to do.  He divided his kingdom into 120 provinces with twelve high officials to rule them.  Of course, the problem with this is, who would keep the twelve high officials in line?  Well, Darius had a solution for that too.  He designated three of his best, most trusted administrators to oversee the twelve.  Daniel was one of those administrators and it soon became clear to Darius that Daniel was the most capable and trustworthy of them all.  He egan to elevate Daniel above all the rest and this made everyone else jealous.

Darius’ plan for King of the Hill

            When you’re on top, jealous people will always find something to bring you down (even if they have to make it up).  The other administrators and all the high officials allied together to bring down Daniel, but there they couldn't find anything against Daniel--he was a talented and honest man with great integrity.  The only chink in Daniel's armor was related to his commitment to God. Daniel would not violate his obedience to God, even if ordered by the king.
            So, the administrators and high officials went to the king and stroked his ego and tricked him into making a law where, for thirty days, no one could pray to anyone accept King Darius.  So in essence, the were making him like a god for thirty days.  Now, that was probably pretty appealing to a guy who had such a struggle to hold on to or enforce his authority.  So he feels pretty good about it and agrees and signs it into law, without really thinking about the implications for Daniel.  And so now, Daniel ends up in a quandary, because the Ten Commandments say "Do not worship any god accept the Lord."  So will Daniel maintain his integrity and do what he knows is right or will he bow to the new law, violate his conscious, and disobey the Lord?  He's got a tough decision to make and his life is at stake. 


There’s A Lion Already Outside the Den             The story makes you fearful for poor Daniel because he is facing the lion's den.  But what you might miss is there is already a lion outside the den prowling around.  What I mean is, there is already a dangerous threat to Daniel that I would argue is even more important than the threat to his life from the lion's den.  It's the same threat each one of us faces when it comes to our integrity.  You see, 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."  The Devil is on the prowl.  He wanted to destroy Daniel witness.  If Daniel caves, the Devil has the ultimate victory.  Daniel integrity and witness and all that is truly important about him is destroyed.
            The Devil is a lion going about ready to tear apart the witness of the faithful today.  He wants to destroy the witness and resolve of God’s faithful children today.  He wants to discredit, remove, silence, and make irrelevant Christ’s followers so no one in this world will listen to us when we speak God’s truth.  We all have a choice to make.  Will we remain true to what we know is right or will we cave to the pressure to go along with the crowd?  How we respond will either show integrity and strengthen our credibility or greatly weaken or destroy our witness.  What will you chose to do?
            Daniel knew exactly what to do.  Verse 10, when he learned of the law saying no one could pray to anyone except King Darius, Daniel went home and got one his knees and prayed—as usual—to the God of heaven.  I want you to notice a few things here.  

           First of all notice that Daniel prayed.   Prayer gives you strength, because it keeps you connected to the One True God, the source of Life.  When you are lonely, prayer reminds you that you are not alone.  God is right there with you. 

            It is precisely in those moments when I have felt the most alone that prayer has helped me recognize the true nature of God the most.  It is precisely in those moments when I felt everyone had abandoned me, or when I felt no one cared, or when I felt I had failed and no one could love me, or when the world was so dark that I didn’t want to be around anyone else that I was able to pray to God and know His eternal, everlasting, ever-loving, all-knowing, all-embracing presence.  Such prayer during the darkest times reminds me at the very depths of my soul that if everything else falls apart or fails—even if the sun and moon themselves were to fall from the skies—it is OK because I am a child of the One True and Living God who made the Heaven and the Earth and He holds me in the palm of His mighty and loving hand.  And it is an experience that chases away all loneliness because I am not alone.  I am a child of God.  He is my Father.  He will never abandon me.  I will never be alone. 

            Second, notice it says Daniel prayed, as usual.  Now here is something you could easily miss.  Daniel prayed as usual.  That means this wasn't something he just started when he found out aout the crazy law or the lion's den.  This was already Daniel's regular daily practice--to pray toward Jerusalem three times a day.  This was what he'd being doing for years.  And he kept doing it and he did it in his open window.  He wasn't hiding anything from anyone.
            Now, there's an important lesson for us in this.  If you are going to take a stand and do the right thing when the challenge comes, you’ve got to be training everyday up to that point through regular, daily spiritual disciplines. 
            The Iron man is a grueling race competition that includes a long distance swim, biking, and then a marathon race.  Just to finish an Iron Man is a great accomplishment.  It takes a lot of training to get ready.  No one just decides to do an Iron Man race on a whim.  They don’t wake up on the day of the race and roll out of bed—without ever having trained—and say, “I think I’ll compete in the Iron Man today…”  That would be ludicrous, I don't care how fit and athletic you are.
            Neither would you want to wait for the day of trials to come before you start praying.  Start praying today.  Build your spiritual muscles now so they will be ready when the troubles come.  Read and study your Bible so you know what to believe.  Pray daily (Daniel prayed three times a day) so you know God with all your heart.  Worship the Lord in private and together with other believers.  Make it your faithful and usual habit.  Troubles come for us all, start training for them to day so you will always be ready. 

Conclusion

            This past Sunday was Father's Day so I want to end with a story about my own father.  On time when I was young, my dad was driving with me and my siblings in the car.  We were on the interstate and there were only two lanes.  Well, two cars were driving side by side very slow and it seemed as if they were doing it on purpose.  We were right behind them and they would not make an opening for cars to get through.  There were 10 or 20 cars stacked up behind them in both lanes.  My dad was really aggravated because it was becoming obvious they were just being jerks.  So, somehow, he managed to get around the cars (I think he did it on the shoulder of the road).  Once around, most people would just drive ahead and leave the situation behind, but not my dad.  He decided he was going to break this traffic jamming pair up so all the other cars could get through.  He got in front of one of them and slowed down to 50 miles per hour.  They still would not separate.  Dad said, "I'm gonna make them separate if I have to slow all the way down to a stop.  So he started slowing down.  45 MPH.  40 MPH.  Still no separation.  35 MPH.  30 MPH.  Finally, one of the cars sped up and went by leaving an opening that cars began to pour through.  One driver, thankful for my father's rebellious act rolled down his window and raised his fist in the air in the salute of defiance!  I have never felt so proud of my dad!
            Fathers are often the ones who teach us to take a stubborn stand for what it right, no matter the cost.  Challenges are coming for us all.  Will you stand up for what’s right?  I encourage you to do the right thing and also to start praying for courage and integrity for the challenge today.  And never forget--because it can be a lonely battle to do the right thing--when you feel lonely, God is with you!

When You Are Afraid, God is With You

Introduction
             The Book of Daniel follows the stories of Jews from Judea who were taken into captivity in Babylon.  For centuries, God had warned the Jews to turn away from the sin and be faithful to God, but they would not.  Finally, their time ran out and the had to face the consequences of their sin.  The Babylonian army attacked their Judean homeland, captured the capital of Jerusalem, and burned their holy temple to the ground.  Any Judeans who were not killed in battle were exiled to Babylon.  The best and brightest Judeans were forced to serve the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar.  The Babylonians changed their captives names, made them speak Babylonian, and tried to make them forget the Judean heritage.  It was an awful predicament to be in.
            The Judean's suffering was caused by their own bad behavior.  However, God did not forget or abandon them.  He was still with His people, even when everything around them changed.  He was with them when they needed help.  He was with them when they were afraid.  And today, the same is true for all of us.  God is with us even when things changes.  God is with us when we need help.  And today I want to focus on the truth that God is with us when you are afraid.  A good verse to memorize that reminds us of God's presence when we are afraid is Isaiah 41:10, "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
            Today, I want to share a fascinating story of three Jews who were trying to get along in Babylon who were forced to take a stand for what they believed in--even at the risk of their lives.  Let's look at the story and I will make some comments as we go through.

Daniel 3:1-6

¹King 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. ³ So 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! ⁵ When 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.”

The Dilemma
            There are times in all our lives when we face a dilemma—will we do what we know is right or will we bow to the pressure of those around us to do something we know is wrong?  There is usually a cost involved.  It may not be life threatening, but there may be a social cost.  If you don't go along, you may lose friends or influence.  Sometimes, you may become socially ostrisized for doing the right thing.  Or maybe it may be a risk to your career.  You might not get the raise or the promotion.  You could lose your job because you refuse to go along with something you know is not right.  It could negatively affect you financially.  What will you do when you are faced with the dilemma and you have to chose right or wrong?
            As for me, I know this.  This world is not my home.  I am a Christian, a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.  I live here in this world as an alien in a foreign land—like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were exiles in Babylon.  I try to get along in this world the best I can.  I serve the people around me—whether they are Christian or not.  I try to show them God’s love and even introduce them to Jesus.  I want them to become a citizen of Heaven too, because I know this kingdom will one day pass away.  However, the Kingdom of Heaven will last forever.
           I try to get along with every--even those with whom I don't agree.  However, there are some things I cannot do.  I will not call anything right that I know is wrong.  I will not call anything wrong that I know is right.  I will do my very best to obey my Lord and live how I believe He wants me to live.  And I base my understanding of His will on His Holy Word in the Bible, the voice of His Holy Spirit in my heart, and the traditions of His Holy Church through the centuries.  These criteria are a firm foundation we can trust.  They have stood the test of time and do not change according to the whims of culture.  They have guided Christians like Peter, Paul, Luke, John, Matthew, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and Billy Graham.  They guide me.  What guides you?

Daniel 3:7-15
⁷ So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! ¹⁰ You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. ¹¹ That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?

¹⁵ I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

The Ultimatum
            And there it is—the ultimatum.  "Bow down and violate your conscience and do what you know isn't right or be thrown into the fire and burned to death."  Usually, our dilemmas aren’t so life or death, but there is as cost.  There is often a social cost, a cost to your career, or a financial risk that tempts you to cave in.  If you will just go along and bow down, everything will be alright, but your conscience tells you it is not right.  What will you do when you are faced with the ultimatum?
            Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew what God commanded.  Bowing to the idols and breaking God's commands is what got the Jews into captivity in the first place.  For God had commanded in the Ten Commandments:  "Do not worship any god accept the Lord" and "Do not make idols of any kind."  They knew what to do, even though it was going to be incredibly frightening and dangerous.

Daniel 3:16-18
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.”

Powerful Faith in a Sovereign God
            Verse 18 is an incredible statement of faith in the Sovereign Lord.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God could save them.  He had the power.  But they also recognized His sovereignty and said they would do the right thing even if God didn't save them. 
            God is sovereign.  What does it mean to be sovereign?  It means He alone has the right to chose how He will act.  No one can tell Him what to do.  He doesn't have to save us.  You aren't rewarded for doing the right thing.  You do the right thing because it is right, not because it gets you something you want.  God is sovereign Lord.  He deserves your faithfulness and nothing less.
            As a child, I was taught that good always triumphs over evil.  As an adult, I know better know.  I have seen that good does not always triumph.  Sometimes, evil triumphs over good in this life and in this world.  But I am not discouraged, because I know this world is not our home.  This life is not all there is.  Even if God does not set right the wrongs in this world in this life, I know He will in the next.  For in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord!
            In the mean time, what good does it do to save this life and lose eternity?  What good does it do to gain power and influence and money and possessions in this life if you lose your very soul?  God is able and will set the balance of justice right in the next life.  Live by faith.

Daniel 3:19-25
¹⁹ Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. ²⁰ Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. ²² And 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!”

When You Are Afraid, God Is With You
            God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the flames!  Three men were thrown in, but four were in the furnace walking around.  Some say the fourth man was the pre0incarnate Jesus, others say it was the Holy Spirit, but it was God in some present form right there with the three men in the flames.  And this is an important truth for us all to know when we are facing deep troubles.
            When you are afraid, God is with you—literally.  You are not walking around in the flames alone.  God is with you.  He is not somewhere far off in Heaven or the other side of the world merely thinking about you.  No.  God is right there wit you.  When you are waiting to go into surgery, God is at your side.  When you are struggling through months of physical rehabilitation, God is with you.  When you are dealing with a rebellious child, God is right their with you.  When you are grieving because you've lost your spouse, the person you loved most in the world and you don't know how to go on, God is their holding you.  When you've lost your job, your car broke down, your house is on fire, your daughter gets divorced, or whatever, God is not far away.  No.  He is with you--walking with you, holding you, and sometimes carrying you (or dragging you!).
            We know the extend of God's commitment to be with us in the midst of our struggles.  For God came and was born as the man, Jesus, as a baby in a manger.  He grew up in a poor, everyday, family.  He dealt with many of the same struggles we face.  He was tempted (but never sinned).  He stood firm on the Word of God.  He showed God's incredible power, love, and mercy.  He was tortured and crucified for our sins.  He died on the cross and rose on the third day.  He even descended into Hell to preach to the lost who were there.  Nothing can stop Him from being with any person who calls out for His help.  As Isaiah 43:1b-3a - “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.  ² When you go through deep waters,  I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. ³ For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Daniel 3:26-30
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!”

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

Practical Application
            Let me give you some practical wisdom from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's story that you can use is your life starting right now.  First of all, build your faith in Christ – now. The time to build trust is not when you’re about to be thrown in the furnace!  God will hear you at anytime you call, but you're going to need all the help you can get.  How much comfort and wisdom and courage and strength will you miss out on if you wait until the last minute to cry out for help. In the moment of distress, you will already have your hands full dealing with trouble.  Now, now is the time--while you are clear-headed and can plan ahead--to build the faith you will need to face the problems that lie ahead (and problems lie ahead for everyone.  We all will face them at some point.).  So build your spiritual muscles know so you will have the resource readily available when you need it.
            Second, know your core values.  When I was a child, there was a country song the went: “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything…”  Now that makes a lot of sense to me.  Do you know what's really important to you?  Do you know what you'd be willing to die for?  You need to know that so you can stand firm if ever your core values are challenged.  On what do you base your core values?  As for me, I know am a citizen of Heaven.  My faith and what I believe is built on the Word of God in the Bible, the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart, and the tradition of the Holy Catholic Church.  These have guided God's people for thousands of years and they are a firm foundation that will not fail.  One what do you base your core values?
            Third, stand firm in your convictions.  Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage to stand for what you know is right.  Your stand is a great witness to the power, sovereignty, and glory of God.  It is could be the greatest testimony you every give (or your greatest shame if you fail).
            And finally, always remember: When you are afraid, God is with you.  God is especially there with us whenever we stand for what is truly right.  We see this in Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  We see it in the New Testament through the lives of the disciples and martyrs like Stephen.  We've seen it throughout history.  When we are afraid because we're trying to do the right thing, God is truly with us.

 

When You Need Help, God is With You

Introduction
            Over the next few weeks, I will share a series of blogs based on lessons from the book of Daniel, which tells the story of Daniel and his Judean companions who were living in exile in Babylon.  (This will also be the theme of my church's vacation Bible school later this month.  If you have kids or grandkids and live near Dalton, GA, we'd love to have you bring them to our VBS.  They will have a great time and learn a lot.  Plus, we'll feed them dinner and it's all free!)
            Daniel was a bright young Judean noble who lived around 600 B.C.  Judea was the southern kingdom of Israel.  The northern kingdom fell about a century before Daniel lived because it was very wicked.  The southern kingdom was guilty of their own share of sin too.  For centuries, God had warned them through prophets that they were not living the way God told them to live in the Old Testament law.  They, lied, cheated, were sexually immoral, and they worshipped idols.  God warned them again and again to stop these things and follow God's laws for holy living, but they did not. 
            Finally, time to repent ran out and they had to face the consequences of their continued and grievous sin and rebellion against God.  The army of the great Babylonian empire, which was the most powerful in all the world at the time, came sweeping in to conquer Judea.  The Babylonians captured and destroyed the Judeans' capital, Jerusalem, and burned the Jewish temple to the ground.  All the people who were not killed or executed in the battle were taken away into exile in Babylon.  They were forced to change their names, speak a different language, and follow foreign customs.  The best and brightest among the Judeans, like a young man named Daniel, were forced to serve the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar.  However, God did not forget His people.  It grieved Him to see the Jews suffering--even though it was their own sin that caused it--and God continued to be with His people and help them through their troubles.
            If you ever feel like your community doesn't reflect your values, your hopes and dreams, the story of Daniel is perfect for you.  If you are a conservative who mourns how society's values are slipping away until they no longer reflect your values, Daniel is for you.  If you are a progressive who feels society has not yet grown and changed and matured into the values you hold dear, the story of Daniel is for you.  Daniel is the story of a people forced to live as aliens among a foreign people, who had to learn to navigate the tricky world of getting along with a people who were not like them without compromising their own core beliefs.  I think Daniel is such a relevant story for 21st century America.
            It is important to say at this point (and for us always to remember) the suffering Daniel and his countrymen experience was not because of God; it was because of sin.  God did not cause them to suffer; they suffered because they behaved badly.  The same is true when we suffer.  God doesn't cause our pain; we suffer because of sin.   Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin.  Maybe we made a mistake or deliberately did something we knew we shouldn't and as a result, we experience the bad results of our bad choices.  We all can probably think of times in our life when this was the case.  As an example: maybe we were driving too fast, not paying careful attention, and we had an accident.  Then our car was totaled and we were injured.  Our actions led directly to our suffering.
            However, our personal suffering is not always caused by our own bad behavior.  We might not have done anything wrong at all, yet we still suffer.  To take the example I just mentioned:  maybe we were driving safely; maybe we were paying close attention, but someone else wasn't and they ran into us.  It was not our sin, but theirs that totaled our car and injured us.  Sometimes the suffering we face in this life is because of other peoples' sin, but it is always because of sin and not God.  The sins of humanity have led to a broken world.  Even nature is not as it should be.  Yes it is beautiful and good in many ways, but it is also corrupted and full of suffering and death.  The darkness we see is the result of the accumulated sin of all humanity--mine, yours, everyones.  However, it is not because of God.
            This is an important concept to know, because it means we can turn to God for help.  God does not want us to suffer.  God didn't cause the suffering.  He warns us and pleads with us to behave right so we won't suffer.  And He watches sadly when we ignore Him and thus feel the painful consequences of our misbehavior.  And He is always willing to help when we repent and turn to Him for help.  Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble."
            Let me share a wonderful and intriguing story of a time God helped Daniel and his friends while they were in captivity in Babylon. 

Daniel 2:1-19 ¹One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. ² He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, ³ he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic,^[c] “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

⁵ But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! ⁶ But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”

⁷ They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

⁸ The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, ⁹ ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.” 

¹⁰ The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! ¹¹ The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

¹² The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. ¹³ And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.

¹⁴ When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. ¹⁵ He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. ¹⁶ Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. ¹⁸ He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

Everyone Needs Help

            Everyone needs help from time to time.  There's no shame in asking for help.  Just make sure you ask the right person for help--someone who can actually help you.  Did you note that everyone in the story from Daniel needs help.  Even the mighty King, Nebuchadnezzar, needed help because he had a terrible nightmare.  Everyone has nightmares and you can usually just wake up, realize it was just a dream, and go back to sleep in peace.  But King Neb had a dream he felt was different.  It was like the very voice of God was speaking to him and he had to know why.  He could not sleep in peace until he did.  Unfortunately, King Neb turned to the wrong people for help.  We can't blame him.  He was not a follower of the One, True God--the God of the Judeans he conquered.  Neb and the Babylonians believed there were many gods.  Their spiritual beliefs were all mixed up.  So when Nebuchadnezzar needed help, he turned to his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers for help.  And they couldn't really help, which meant...  

           Nebuchadnezzar's royal advisors were in big trouble too!  The desperately needed help because their lives were on the line!  The king asked the impossible.  If he'd just asked them to interpret the dream, they could have come up with some creative and plausible explanation. (That's what astrologists do.  They make a vague statement about your life based on irrelevant information and when you read it you think, "Oh, that sounds just like me.  It's probably true!)  Maybe that's why wise old king Neb decided not to tell them his dream.  He figured, if they really did have some special insight, they'd be able to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant.  Does your boss or teacher or parents or kids (or anyone) ever make absolutely unreasonable demands of you?  Something that's just seems impossible?  You have to respond or else face the consequences. You need help--supernatural help.  King Neb's advisors needed supernatural help.  Exasperated, they told the king, "No one but the gods can do what you're asking and the gods don't live here among the people.”
            Actually, yes He does.  That is the beauty and wonder of the Good News of God's story in the Bible.  God knew we desperately needed His help.  And so He came and lived among us as a human being in the man, Jesus.  He was born of a virgin named Mary.  He lived as one of us.  He experienced all that we experience.  He suffered torture at the hands of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  Jesus was crucified on a cross and died and was buried.  On the third day after his death, he rose from the dead.  He ascended to heaven and now his Holy Spirit lives inside any person who puts their whole trust in Jesus Christ.  So yes, God does live among the people.  He hasn't forgotten us and He can and will help us if we ask Him.

            That was good news for Daniel, because he was one Nebuchadnezzar's royal advisors.  He was to be killed with all the rest if he couldn't tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant.  So Daniel also needed help.  Fortunately, Daniel knew the One True and Living God, the God of the Holy Bible, the God who created the whole universe, who controls world events, who sets up kingdoms and also tears them down, who gives wisdom to those who ask, and reveals hidden secrets like dreams and their meanings.  So Daniel asked God for help.
            Kings and kingdoms come in all forms. At the moment, they seem all powerful and everlasting, but they come and go. Only God and His Kingdom last forever. Our problems can also seem immense and overwhelming and unstoppable, but they come and they go.  God is bigger than any problem you are facing or ever will face.  And God was bigger than even the life threatening problem Daniel and his friends faced at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar.  When you have a problem, pray and ask God for help.  He can and will help you.

So What Was the Dream?

            The full story of how God revealed Nebuchadnezzar's dream and it's meaning through Daniel is found in Daniel 2:29-46.  I'll summarize it.  King Neb dreamed about a giant statue made of many different types of material.  The statue and each section represented the empires that would rule the world in the future.  The statue had a golden head that represented Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian empire.  It seemed inconceivable that his empire would ever end, but it would end and be replaced by another, the Persian Empire represented by the statue's silver breast and arms.  Then would come the  Greek Empire, represented by the statue's brass belly and thighs.  Next would be the Roman Empire, represented by the statue's iron legs.  These great kingdoms would be succeeded by divided kingdoms, represented by the feet of the statue made from a weak mixture of clay and iron. 

            All of these kingdom were thought to be so great and powerful.  The people who lived in them never imagined they would not last forever, yet today, we can barely remember their names or where they were or who ruled them.  They came and went and were mostly forgotten, accept in dusty history books that few people read. 

            There was one more part of the dream and it's the important part that we need to know and remember most.  In the dream, there was a Rock (and not Dwayne Johnson).  This Rock represented Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.  Daniel 2:34-35 says:  "³⁴ As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. ³⁵ The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth."

            The Rock was not made by human hands.  The Rock is Jesus and his Church (The Kingdom of God).  Remember, Jesus was not made by human hands.  He was born of the Virgin Mary and conceived through the Holy Spirit of God.  He is the Son of God.  You see: not made by human hands.  And Jesus alluded to this himself when he told the parable of the wise man who built his house upon the rock (Luke 6:48).  If you build your life upon Jesus (The Rock), when the storms come, you will stand firm.  But if you build your house upon sand--the things in this world that seem so big and important but which really aren't in the eternal scheme of things--then you will be washed away when the storms of life rage.
            And have you heard what Jesus said to his disciple Simon (Matthew 16:18)?  Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was and Simon answered Jesus was the Son of the living God.  Jesus replied, “Simon, from now on I will call your “Peter" (which means rock) and on this kind of faith I will build my Church and not even the gates of Hell will be able to stand against it!”  The Church, the Kingdom of God, is built on the rock of faith in Jesus.  And it has been growing ever since, becoming a mountain; today more people adhere to Christianity than any other world religion.  And the concepts of love and forgiveness and grace have already become infused into so much of what people believe today (even those who do not claim to be Christians).
            The Bible also says Jesus is the cornerstone of a new Temple, a new and different kind of Kingdom (Matthew 21:42).  The religious leaders and political leaders of his day rejected Jesus, but he became a stumbling block that tripped them up and brought their kingdoms down and crushed them to oblivion—not by the might of any kingdom’s army, but by the love and grace and forgiveness of Almighty God.
            And in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the Rock smashes into the feet of the statue and it all comes crumbling down and is crushed to dust that the wind blows away.  Can you here the band Kansas singing the old song, "Dust in the wind!  All we are is dust in the wind!"  And the interpretation of the rock in Nebuchadnezzar's dream is this:  All the great empires of this world eventually fall and are blown away like dust in the wind, but God's Kingdom, founded on faith in Jesus Christ (The Rock) and not made by human hands, is eternal.

So What Does It Mean for Me?

            God wants to help you with your problems, but he wants to do more than give you a temporary fix.  The various problems of this life--both big and small--will come and go.  Jesus came to help us fix the core problem that's at the root of it all--sin.  Sin is doing things our way instead of God's way.  It is rebelling against the One who made us and gave us life and purpose.  Sin is the ultimate idolatry--always looking to things or people or kingdoms or even ourselves to provide what only God can provide.  Sin always disappoints and leads to trouble.
            Remember, the suffering we face in this life is not because of God; it is caused by sin--whether it is our own personal sin or the sins of others.  Jesus came to conquer sin and offer grace and forgiveness.  Jesus came to enable us to turn away from sin and come back to God--the source of abundant, hope-filled, satisfying, joyful, eternal life.
            Will you truly turn to the Lord and ask for help?  Because, when we need help, God is with us.  Ask Him for help with all your problems.  More importantly, ask Him to help you with the core problem--your sin.  How do you do it?  It's simple.  Do as Daniel and his friends did.  Ask the God of Heaven to show you mercy.  Close your eyes and talk to God in a prayer.  Say:

"God of Heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sin.  Please forgive my sin and save me.  Help me to follow Jesus as my Lord from now on.  Help me to obey You and so avoid as much as possible the troubles caused by the sin in this world until the day I come Home to be with you in Heaven where there is no more sin or suffering or death.  Amen."

            If this is your earnest desire and prayer, God will save you through Jesus Christ.  He will forgive your sin.  You will begin to experience a release from much of the suffering caused by sin in this life.  And you will have eternal life with God in the next life where there will be no more sin and the suffering sin brings.  You are a Christian--one who follows Christ as Lord and Savior.  You may still face troubles in this world (because this world is not your true home), but do not fear because Jesus has already over come this world.  The problems and kingdoms of this world will soon fade away like dust in the wind.  However, the Rock of Jesus and his Kingdom will stand forever.  Rejoice that you are now part of His eternal Kingdom!