Thursday, May 15, 2008

Whoop! Whoop!

We finish Chapter 6 today and by the time we're done you might stand up in your chair and shout a barbaric yawp!

We pick up right after the king tells Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

What a prayer indeed! Yesterday we talked about applying that prayer to missionaries all over the world. Today, we'll apply it to our lives.

Finish reading the chapter now. If you've spent any amount of time in church I'm sure you've heard this story. Daniel is tossed in, and what do you know...A STONE WAS BROUGHT AND PLACED OVER THE MOUTH OF THE DEN! hmmm, I've seen that somewhere before...

"Then he (Joseph of Arimathea)rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb." Mark 15:47

And we know what happened next in that story...somebody got OUT of that tomb. Whoo-hoo!

Back to Daniel. He's been put in the den. The king can't eat or sleep all night and at first light he takes off running to the den to see of Daniel is still alive. He cried out, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?"

I wonder if Daniel waited a few seconds before answering. Maybe holding his mouth snickering a little...doubt it, but it would be funny!

Daniel said, "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight."

Daniel was taken out of the den and the dudes that falsely accused him, well, they got to meet the lions face to teeth. Bummer.

Darius then tells all the people within shoutin' distance to fear and reverence the God of Daniel. And here's why...

He is the living God and he endures forever
His kingdom will not be destroyed
His dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves
He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!

Let's take a look-see at 1 Peter 5:8, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

nice

We have an enemy that wants us, for lack of a better word, dead. He wants nothing more than to trip us into his den and shut us up in strongholds, fear, doubt, pain, worry, sickness, and death and he has done all he can to try to do it.

I have fallen in his den and heard his roar. Jesus said he is the father of lies and when he speaks he only speaks lies. His mouth full of teeth are stuffed with lies and he breathes his sick breath in our face to see if we'll fall for it.

Peter went on to tell us "Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."

because "...after you have suffered a little while, [God] himself will make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever, Amen!"

That's a biblical equivalent to a barbaric yawp!

God will not let our enemy, the lion devour us any more than he let them devour Daniel. He split heaven and earth to rescue us and he will do what he can to ensure we aren't taken out by a little lion. At least not when the LION OF JUDAH IS IN THE HOUSE!

Our God, whom we continually serve, will rescue us...every. time.

I heard it! You wanted to yawp!

God will shut the mouth of the lion in your life! Run to Him. Trust Him and the get jiggy with praising Him! You can use King Darius' version if you want...


He is the living God and he endures forever
His kingdom will not be destroyed
His dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves
He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth
He has rescued ME from the power of the lion!

2 comments:

Kim Heinecke said...

I made pom-poms out of Walmart sacks and I'm doing my high school victory march.... Oh, I may have just pulled something...

Godd one. God is so perfectly perfect.

Robin Meadows said...

YAWP!!!!