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“Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose with the dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?’ Then Daniel spoke to the king, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me.’” – Daniel 6:18-22a

When circumstances seem darkest, we can see God’s hand most clearly.

It is obvious that King Darius cared deeply for Daniel and that he had some degree of faith in Daniel’s God. Although he believed that God could deliver Daniel (v. 16), he spent a distressing and sleepless night anxiously awaiting dawn, so he could see if his belief was true. At the crack of dawn he hurried to the lions’ den and called out to Daniel. Imagine his relief to hear Daniel’s voice and to learn about how the angel had shut the lions’ mouths. Why did Darius think God would deliver Daniel? I’m sure he learned of God from Daniel himself. Surely Daniel talked about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s deliverance from the fiery furnace and about other marvelous things God had done for His people. The king’s response shows that Daniel’s testimony was effective and that his integrity had lent credibility to his witness.

But suppose God hadn’t delivered Daniel from the lions. Would He have failed? No. Isaiah also believed God, but he was sawn in half. Stephen believed God but was stoned to death. Paul believed God but was beheaded. Trusting God means accepting His will, whether for life or death. And for Christians, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Pray for those Christian leaders today who influence kings and presidents throughout the world. Ask the Lord to give them boldness and blameless integrity.

For Further Study:

How does God view the death of His children (see Ps. 116:15 and John 21:18-19)?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com .

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Reading for Today:

Notes:

15:1 David built houses for himself. He was able by the alliance and help of Hiram (18:1) to build a palace for himself and separate houses for his wives and their children. While the ark remained near Jerusalem at the home of Obed-Edom for 3 months (13:13, 14), David constructed a new tabernacle in Jerusalem to fulfill God’s word in Deuteronomy 12:5–7 of a permanent residency.

15:11 Zadok…Abiathar. These two high priests, heads of the two priestly houses of Eleazar and Ithamar, were colleagues in the high priesthood (2 Sam. 20:25). They served the Lord simultaneously in David’s reign. Zadok attended the tabernacle in Gibeon (1 Chr. 16:39), while Abiathar served the temporary place of the ark in Jerusalem. Ultimately, Zadok prevailed (1 Kin. 2:26, 27).

78:13 waters stand up like a heap. The parting of the Red Sea at the beginning of the Exodus, which allowed Israel to escape from the Egyptian armies, was always considered by the Old Testament saints to be the most spectacular miracle of their history (Ex. 14).

78:15 split the rocks. Twice in the wilderness, when Israel desperately needed a great water supply, God brought water out of rocks (Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11).

7:44–50 To counter the false charge that he blasphemed the temple (6:13, 14), Stephen recounted its history to show his respect for it.

7:49, 50 Quoted from Isaiah 66:1, 2. Stephen’s point is that God is greater than the temple, and thus the Jewish leaders were guilty of blaspheming by confining God to it.

In the climax of Stephen’s sermon (Acts 7:51–53), he indicted the Jewish leaders for rejecting God in the same way that their ancestors had rejected Him in the Old Testament. He told the members of the esteemed Sanhedrin that they were “stiff-necked” like their fathers (Ex. 32:9; 33:5) and “uncircumcised in heart and ears!” Thus they were as unclean before God as the uncircumcised Gentiles (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:28, 29). “You always resist the Holy Spirit” by rejecting the Spirit’s messengers and their message. And when he spoke of the “Just One,” Stephen reminds them that they betrayed and murdered Him (v. 52). His words were reminiscent of those from Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 23:13–39.

The reaction of the Sanhedrin was that they “gnashed at him with their teeth” (v. 54).That is the fullness of anger and frustration and was in contrast to Stephen, who “being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (v. 55). Isaiah (Is. 6:1–3), Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:26–28), Paul (2 Cor. 12:2–4), and John (Rev. 1:10) also received visions of God’s glory in heaven.

Stephen’s words were so appalling that they took him out of the city and “stoned him.” This was the punishment prescribed in the law for blasphemy (Lev. 24:16); however, this was not a formal execution but an act of mob violence. And those who participated “laid down their clothes…Saul” (v. 58). Paul’s first appearance in Scripture. That he was near enough to the action to be holding the clothes of Stephen’s killers reflects his deep involvement in the sordid affair. And Paul heard those marvelous words of Stephen, “do not charge them with this sin” (v. 60). As had Jesus before him (Luke 23:34), Stephen prayed for God to forgive his killers.

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com .

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“What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:14- 17).

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Your righteous deeds illuminate the path to God by reflecting His power and grace to others. That brings Him glory and proves your faith is genuine.

Your deeds also serve as the basis of divine judgment. If you practice righteousness, you will receive eternal life; if you practice unrighteousness, you will receive “wrath and indignation” (Rom. 2:6-8). God will judge you on the basis of your deeds because what you do reveals who you really are and what you really believe. That’s why any so- called faith that doesn’t produce good works is dead and utterly useless!

James illustrates that point in a practical way. If someone lacks the basic necessities of life and comes to you for help, what good does it do if you simply wish him well and send him away without meeting any of his needs? It does no good at all! Your pious words are hypocritical and without substance. If you really wished him well, you would do what you can to give him what he needs! Your unwillingness to do so betrays your true feelings. Similarly, dead faith is hypocritical, shallow, and useless because it doesn’t put its claims into action–indeed, it has no divine capacity to do so.

I pray that your life will always manifest true faith and that others will glorify God because of your good works.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Perhaps you know someone whose claim to Christianity is doubtful because his or her life doesn’t evidence the fruit of righteousness. If so, pray for that person regularly and set an example by your own good works. For Further Study:

Read John 15:1-8.

• What illustration did Jesus use for spiritual fruitfulness?
  
• What is the prerequisite for fruitfulness?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com .

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Talk about the perfect job. Adam had it made in the shade. His job, so to speak, was to discover all that God had created in the Garden of Eden.

Scripture says that Adam was there to tend it, but this doesn’t mean Adam was a gardener, per se. It simply means he was there to take in what God had made, to enjoy it, and to discover it.

Only one real restriction had been placed on Adam and Eve, and that was to stay away from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

So when we come to the third chapter of Genesis, where do we find Adam and Eve? We find them standing at the one tree God told them to stay away from.

What is it about human nature? When you say to a child, “Whatever you do, don’t go into that room,” you know it is only a matter of time until the child is in that room.

We are attracted to and drawn toward the forbidden. It is human nature. In our warped minds, we may even believe that God is somehow keeping us from something that is good and desirable.

But the reason the Lord told Adam and Eve to stay away from this tree was because of the damage it would inflict on them and, as a result, on all humanity.

God gave them a warning. And when God gives us a warning, it is for our own good. But Adam and Eve did not heed that warning. They played into what Satan offered.

The devil is a master at making evil look good and good look bad. Just turn on the television and you’ll see what I mean. It is the way of the enemy.

And in the Garden, he took that which was poisonous and wicked and vile and actually made it look attractive. So let’s note the tactics he used, because he is still using them today—three in particular.

First, He questioned God’s Word. Notice that he did not deny that God had spoken. He simply questioned whether God had really said what Eve thought He had said: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NKJV)

He wanted her to think she had somehow misunderstood God’s command. And in the same way today, the devil twists the truth to try and alienate people from God.

Second, he questioned God’s love. He wanted Eve to think that God was holding something back: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5 NKJV).

In reality, God had placed those restrictions in Adam and Eve’s lives to keep them from sinning. And the barriers God places in our lives are there because He loves us.

Third, he substituted his own lie. He lead Eve to believe that if she ate from the tree, she would become a goddess: “You will not surely die. . . . You will be like God, knowing good and evil” (verses 4–5 NKJV). So she gave into it.

The Bible clearly says that Eve was deceived, but Adam disobeyed. In fact, he was there with her at the tree: “She took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (verse 6 NKJV, emphasis mine). Eve was listening to that voice, and Adam was with her.

If he had been the spiritual leader he should have been, then he would have not let her be there in the first place. And certainly he would have taken her away. But Adam was as fascinated as Eve was. They checked it out. And they listened.

Then, when confronted with his sin, Adam not only blamed Eve, but he also blamed God: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (verse 12 NKJV). In other words, “It is the woman You gave me. This was Your idea.”

God had put him in paradise with every possible comfort, surrounded by breathtaking beauty such as there has never been since. Yet Adam lashed out at the very God who gave all this to him.

You see, that is what sin does to us. It blinds us. And that is why we need God’s provision for our forgiveness, so we can be restored into fellowship with Him.

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I’m glad the Bible compares the Christian life not to only running a race, but also to walking a walk.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

The Book of Genesis tells us about a man named Enoch, who walked with God for three hundred years. Enoch teaches us the importance of pacing ourselves in the spiritual race.

I bring this up because there are people who have a yo-yo relationship with God. Either they are fully backslidden, or they are passionate to the point of being obnoxious. They haven’t learned to pace themselves.

I learned the importance of this one day on a 25-mile bike ride with some friends. I had a lot of energy, so I would pedal ahead of the pack. But then I would run out of steam and have to pull back. I would get another burst of energy and pedal ahead of everyone else. Then they would catch up and pass me.

Once we reached our destination and were on our way back, one of the guys I had been cycling with had to actually push me, because I had no strength left.

That is not the way to do it. The objective is to get there and back.

The same is true in the spiritual race. The objective is not to just run fast. It is to run long. Finish. That is the objective.

If you want to grow up spiritually, then you need to pace yourself in this race of life—because you are in it for the long haul.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
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When I was in high school, I was in track and field. I always noticed that I ran faster when a pretty girl was watching me, because I wanted to impress the pretty girl.

But there is a better motivation than that for running this race of life. The Lord Jesus is watching us. Hebrews 12:1–2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

That is what will keep you going. You have to keep following the Lord, even if your friends aren’t there with you. As the song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” says, “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”

We all know that people do turn away from the Lord. But if you are living this Christian life because of what people have to say about it, then you are not going to make it.

People will let you down. People will disappoint you. Circumstances are going to be hard. You should do this because you love Jesus.

When you face all of the garbage out there, remember that it is the Lord Jesus Christ you are running for. That is the reason you should be running this race.”

Is this why you are running it right now? When you are maintaining a love relationship with Jesus Christ, you will see this world for what it really is—empty, futile, and meaningless. On the other hand, if you are just giving it your bare minimum, then you are not going to make it.

So let’s make every day of this spiritual race count.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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Today’s devotion is adapted from a recent post on Greg’s Blog. To read Pastor Greg’s latest blog entry, click here.

In the wrap-up to His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told a story about two men who built two homes. They may have been at the same time and close to together. They might have even had the same floor plan.

One of the builders, however, erected his home on shifting sand, while the other built his home on a stable rock foundation.

Then the storms came, with wind and driving rain hitting both of those houses—hard! The house that had been built on sand collapsed and fell in upon itself, while the one built on the rock stood firm.

The obvious moral of the story is to build your life on a foundation that will last, like the one we find in the pages of God’s Word.

But here’s an application we sometimes miss. The storm came to both lives. The wind beat on both houses. The rain poured on both building sites.

The man who was wise and carefully chose a stable foundation got hit with the same hurricane-force winds as the man who foolishly took shortcuts and didn’t bother to plan ahead.

No one is exempt

We will all experience storms in life. Good things will happen to us, as well as tragic and inexplicable things. Every life will have its share of pain.

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, none of us can take an extended vacation beyond the reach of human suffering and tragedy.

Former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli summed up life in this pessimistic way: “Youth is a mistake. Manhood is a struggle. And old age a regret.”

I understand Disraeli’s pessimism, but allow me to offer another answer. God is in control of the life of the Christian and can actually bring good out of bad.

That is what the Bible teaches, and that is what I believe. That’s not to say that God will make bad into good, because bad is bad. But it is to say that good can come out of bad.

As Romans 8:28 affirms: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” A better translation would be, “He is causing all things to work and to continue working together for good.”

Life is a process and, as finite beings who live moment to moment, we can’t see around the bend. We can’t discern God’s ultimate purposes.

But we can know this: He is watching and caring, in control and loving us with an everlasting love.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
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Today’s devotion is adapted from a recent post on Greg’s Blog. To read Pastor Greg’s latest blog entry, click here.

Some people believe in what we might describe as a watered-down gospel. This diluted version of the true gospel promises forgiveness, but rarely tells you of the need to repent of your sin.

It’s a gospel that promises peace and plenty, but never warns of persecution. It’s a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, and never have any problems to speak of. It’s a gospel that says you can so wrap yourself in God’s favor that there will always be a parking space available for you at the mall.

That is not the gospel of the New Testament. I can assure you that the last thing on Paul’s mind was “How can I find a great parking space?” He had other objectives that gripped his heart and soul.

Does this mean that God wants you to be sick, poor, and miserable? That He doesn’t want you to be happy? No, I believe that happiness will come as you really follow the Lord. But it is a byproduct, a fringe benefit of belonging to God in Christ.

The essence of the Christian life is knowing God and walking with Him.

It’s about sticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it’s filled with clouds or choked with smoke. It’s about walking with the Lord through thick and thin, and pressing on through every heartache and trial that happens to come our way.

Storm Warnings

Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life. But it is through these storms and hardships and tribulations that we will enter God’s kingdom.

As Dr. Luke phrased it: “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:21-22).

We don’t always like to read a verse like that. It’s probably not a passage we want to put on a plaque and hang by our front door.

We would rather the passage read, “Through many days of perpetual happiness, we enter the kingdom of God.” But that isn’t Scripture, and that isn’t life. Trials and tribulations will come.

Job said it well: “How frail is man, how few his days, how full of trouble!” (Job 14:1 TLB)

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
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Today’s devotion is adapted from a recent post on Greg’s Blog. To read Pastor Greg’s latest blog entry, click here.

Without question, the Christian life is the greatest life you could ever live. And why is that? I can’t even count all the ways!

God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and headed toward certain judgment, and turns it around and transforms it. He forgives us of all of our sin, and if that wasn’t enough, credits the very righteousness of Jesus Christ into our spiritual bank account.

He removes all of our guilt, and fills the void in our lives with Himself, as He literally takes up residence in the very center of who we are.

Most importantly, He changes our eternal address from a place called hell to a place called heaven.

This all comes as a result of the power of the gospel proclaimed and believed. And when we do believe, we are gifted with a new desire to glorify God with our lives.

It’s absolutely true that when you trust Christ as Savior, God removes a whole set of problems you used to have—including the nagging guilt and that empty sense of aimlessness in life that used to haunt you.

But we need to understand that there will be a whole new set of problems that will take the place of your old problems. That is because the day that you put your trust in Jesus Christ, you enter into a battle that will last for the rest of your life.

Why? Because not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, there is also a devil who hates you, and fiercely opposes God’s plan.

Some are surprised to find that the Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. And that is why the apostle Paul said, “Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3)

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
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It has been said that more have been killed by food than by poison. The second best can often be the worst enemy of the best.

That is what Jesus was talking about in the Parable of the Sower when He said, “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14 NKJV).

This is someone who appears to have made a decision for Christ and seems to be changing. But then slowly but surely, it becomes apparent that he or she doesn’t really want to follow Christ. Other things become more important, although they’re not necessarily bad things in and of themselves.

This isn’t someone who deliberately refuses to pray or read the Bible or go to church. In fact, this is a person who feels these are very good things. It is his or her intention to do these things eventually, when there is time in that busy schedule.

Other pursuits eventually crowd out the things of God, and gradually the physical becomes more important than the spiritual. TV becomes more important than the Bible, movies are more appealing than church, parties are more important than prayer, and things on Earth are more important than treasures in heaven.

Is this happening to you? Do you find that the things of God just don’t have the appeal they once did? Now that you have been at this for a while, are you not as into it as you once were? This isn’t a good sign.

If you are not feeling well and go to see the doctor, one of the first things he or she will ask you is, “How is your appetite?” A hungry person is a healthy person. So if you don’t have a hunger for the Word of God and the things of God, this would indicate that you are not strong spiritually.

As you look at the early church, the church that turned their world upside-down, the Bible says of them, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42 NKJV).

The Bible doesn’t say they just went to church, read the Bible, and prayed. It says they continued steadfastly.

What does that mean? It means they did so with passion, with dedication, and with commitment. And that is the way we need to come to the Word of God and to the things of God. It is attention with intention.

Harvest Christian Fellowship, the church where I pastor, is built on a decomposed granite pit. So quite literally, it is a church built on the rock.

I remember how, when it was being constructed, explosives were used to clear an area so we could lay the foundation for the building. It took a lot of work to prepare the ground to erect that structure.

In the same way, God can sometimes come in with a weed whacker to clean up the soil of our lives, and it looks just fine. Other times, He needs to bring in dynamite and do some big-time work. It all depends on us.

Some of us need some major work to prepare our heart for the seed of the Word of God. It might be a boulder of sin. It might be a weed of rebellion. Or it might be a stump of disobedience.

God needs to remove that perpetual sin that has had a stranglehold on our lives for years so our hearts can be receptive soil for what He wants to do. That is what will determine whether our conversion is real. It is the test of time and the presence of spiritual fruit.

The real test of whether our commitment is genuine is not how large a Bible we carry. It is not how often we attend church. It is not how loudly we sing. It is not how much we give in the offering.

Though all of these things have their place, here is what it comes down to: if we are true believers, there will be fruit, or evidence, in our lives to show that.

Can others look at you and see the changes in your life? Can they see changes in your character, in your outlook, in your motivation, and in what drives you? That is how people will know.

God sees our heart, but people see our works.

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