Who Lives That Way? (Persistence)

"Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! For the LORD is a God who knows what You have done; He will judge your actions. The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong. Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away. The LORD gives both death and life; He brings some down to the grave but raises others up. The LORD makes some poor and others rich; He brings some down and lifts others up. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD's, and He has set the world in order. (1 Samuel 2:3-8 NLT)

It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day details of life.  We can start to think that we are the ones who create our destiny...our success.  But God reminds us over and over again that nothing we have really is ours.  Everything we have is from Him.  The best thing we can do for ourselves and our families in this life is to humble ourselves before the LORD and obey His commands.

"He will protect His faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the LORD judges throughout the earth...  (1 Samuel 2:9-10 NLT)

It takes more than obedience, though.  Every moment, every day, every week, every month, every year provides a new opportunity to obey or to rebel.  Blessings do not come to those who obey once or even once in awhile.  God rewards persistence.  He calls persistence by a different name, though.  In His Word, persistence at doing God's will is called faithfulness.

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. "Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water," Daniel said. "At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king's food. Then make your decision in light of what you see." (Daniel 1:11-13 NLT)

Daniel and his friends were persistent...faithful...in following the LORD even in captivity.  Because they would not eat the foods God prohibited at the time, Daniel and his friends were rewarded by God.   They received blessings from Him who holds everything.  Are you persistent in doing His Will?  Are you faithful?

Who Lives That Way? (Obedience)

Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 12:28 NLT)

Obedience has been key to walking together with God from the very beginning. The Israelites were given victory over their enemies in the Promised Land because they did obey God. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden because they didn't obey His command.

The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. (Daniel 1:7-8 NLT)

Daniel understood the connection between blessings and obeying. He was in captivity now because God's chosen people did not obey. They turned away from God. They lost the promised land.


"If you love Me, obey My commandments. (John 14:15 NLT)

Now that we have the New Testament, our tendency is to focus on the Love of God.  We like to remember that His Greatest Command is to Love.  What we tend to forget, though, is that Loving God comes before Loving our Neighbor.  Not only that, Jesus said that we show our love for God by obeying his commands.

Anyone who doesn't love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. (John 14:24 NLT)

The opposite is also true. When we disobey, we show God that we don't love Him. It all comes down to obedience.

"I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love. When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father's commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:9-11 NLT)

Who Lives That Way? (Personal)

"You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it...  (Genesis 3:4-6 NLT)

Sometimes our temptation to leave God is not global, national, or general.  Sometimes the reason is just personal.  The reasons are personal.  The struggles are personal.  The thoughts are personal.  So, we turn away from God and think that "no one understands."  But it's simply not true.  God understands.  Not only does He understand, He is ready to provide you all the help you need to fight off those personal "reasons" to leave.  He wants you to stay with Him.  He wants to help.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king's service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. (Daniel 1:3-4 NIV)

Daniel and his friends were not just a part of a global situation.  Their role in this was personal.  They had been defeated.  They had been captured.  They were being selected, groomed, and taught to go against everything they believed.  They were being trained to walk away from God.  But they wouldn't do it.  Perhaps they remembered their forefather, Joshua, as they were facing overwhelming personal pressure.

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15 NIV)

Whatever the reason, they did not succumb to personal pressure.  Pressure from the King of Babylon wouldn't do it.  Pressure from his workers wouldn't do it.  Pressure from peers or "that woman" or friends wouldn't do it.  Daniel made his choice.  He was going to walk together with God no matter what.  How about you?  Have you made your choice?

Who Lives That Way? (The World)

Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." (1 Corinthians 3:18-19 NLT)

All too often, we look at the events of this world as somehow driving our walk together with God.  We allow wars and attacks to drive us to fear or anger.  We allow political elections and human leaders to inspire us to places God would never want.  We point to the economy as a reason to aspire to greediness or to wallow in self-pity.  The problem with letting the world drive our walk with God is that the world doesn't walk with God.

During the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. (Daniel 1:1-2 NLT)

Daniel and his friends were taken captive because their nation had stopped following God.  They were defeated, captured, deported, then brought into the capitol city of their enemies and trained to be good Babylonians.  If ever there was a person who could blame "world events" for abandoning God, it would have been Daniel and company.

But, they didn't.  Rather than walking away from God, they chose to walk with God even in their difficult, world created, circumstances.  They didn't eat the food that God told them was "unclean" and "unholy" for them to eat.  Later in the story, Daniel refused to pray to false gods as well.  The world's circumstances didn't matter to him.  He still walked together with God.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Walking away from God because of world events is just an excuse.  A person who wants to walk together with God will find a way to walk together with God, regardless of the circumstances.  Don't compare the life He wants for you to the world and say, "Who lives that way?"  Instead, compare your life to God's picture and ask yourself, "How can I live that way?"  Then, start doing it.

White as Snow

I was awakened yesterday to a beautiful blanket of snow covering the ground.  I love the beauty of snow.  It's pure, clean, white and brings contrast even to the trees.  It's just pretty.

Whenever I look at it, I think about references to snow throughout Scripture.

God, when seen by Daniel in a vision, is described as big, powerful, and pure.  His closing was "white as snow."

I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow...  (Daniel 7:9-10 NLT)

When Jesus' mom and Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to treat the body with spices, they found Jesus missing and an angel sitting there waiting for them.  His clothing was described as being "white as snow."

Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.  (Matthew 28:1-3 NLT)

Jesus himself is described in the book of Revelation, where John describes his vision.  His head and hair are so bright they are described as "white as snow."

And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow...  Revelation 1:13-14 NLT)

"White as snow" is a phrase throughout Scripture that is used to describe one who is pure...and powerful.  The purity of the one being described is almost radiating out from them - showing something supernatural - the power of God.

This purity describes someone else in Scripture as well: you and me.  This seems impossible when we think about the things we've done in life.  Our lives are not pure, perfect, and holy.  Yet, this is the kind of God we approach.  God will not allow anyone in His presence that isn't "white as snow," so that's what we need to become: pure, perfect, and holy.

There's no way for us to become "white as snow" on our own.  Our own past transgressions have already messed up the perfection.  But God has a solution for us all.

"Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow...  (Isaiah 1:18 NLT)

Jesus lays down his life...and a blanket of snow on our sins.  Through Him we are made pure, perfect, and holy.  Through His Spirit we are given unlimited power to live in this way.  Through Him, we are made "white as snow."

What do you think about when you see a fresh blanket of snow?