Bethlehem

Pastor Mike Cosper gave a wonderful sermon on The Writing On the Wall in Daniel 5 yesterday (available here). For a relatively short book of the Bible, Daniel is packed with familiar stories – Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace, The Writing on the Wall all appear in Daniel’s 12 chapters. But this book also has great stories that aren’t as well known. There’s the story of Nebuchadnezzar losing his mind and there are some truly amazing and harrowing apocalyptic visions in the second half of the book.

Daniel should be required reading for any Christian who has a job. One of the standout themes of the first 6 chapters of Daniel is his great, godly model for God’s people in the marketplace. Daniel worked as a counselor to the king, having been captured in Jerusalem as one of Israel’s intellectual leaders and taken into servitude in Babylon. In his work, Daniel was definitely a minority, not only because of his ethnicity, but because of his faith. Out of a whole host of spiritual counselors to the king, Daniel and a handful of his friends were the only ones who could actually give genuine, godly spiritual counsel because they were the only ones with any relationship to the Living God. Perhaps this resonates with you. Working a job that demands integrity, honesty and wisdom, perhaps you’re one of few in your workplace who claims Christ and remains committed to integrity, honesty and wisdom even when all logic and circumstance seems to require cutting corners, sacrificing your integrity, or demeaning a coworker to make yourself look stronger.

As you read this book and Daniel’s story unfolds, you will find that Daniel faced much (if not much, much more) of the same temptation, intimidation and frustration at his job as you might face in yours. You will also find that he lives and works in a way that truly casts vision for Christians in the marketplace – always remaining steadfast in his faith while working with excellence and gaining influence so that when crisis comes, he can use his influence for the sake of God’s mission.

The daily devotional and Bible reading plan hit the book of Daniel yesterday and will continue this whole week. You should read along with us. Clocking in at 12 chapters, the book of Daniel can be read in just two chapters a day this week. Or you could opt out of the apocalyptic visions in the second half of the book and focus on the first half that tells the story of Daniel’s ministry in the Babylonian kingdom. The first six chapters are so concise that you could read them two or three times this week if you so chose. Do what works for you in this season of your life (but also consider stretching yourself for the sake of knowing God’s Word better). Of course there are the devotional nuggets to help you reflect more deeply on what you’re reading. Come join us in experiencing the book of Daniel.

At Sojourn, we are all about you getting in the Word - it’s God’s message for you, as you are, where you are.Right now we’re working through the Old Testament as a church body and it’s a big undertaking that can seem pretty intimidating. But we want to assure you that nobody has to be a scholar to understand the Bible. God didn’t just speak to the brainiacs - he spoke to all of us. Still, a little help along the way is good. That’s why Sojourn has a daily Bible reading plan and devotional which can be found online here. For more on the daily devotional and how you can use it to help you get in the word, click here.

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Source: MichaelMorgan