★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Encouragement – Part 7 ★

Today is a big day.  It’s my sister’s birthday, four months since we got out puppy Maggie 🌸 and of course 1 week until Christmas!  If you follow this blog, you will know that the last post was almost 12 months ago!  The post was called ★ Thought for the Day – Renewed Thoughts & Attitudes ★, and boy was that a prophetic Word from the Lord, as this past year has been the “YEAR of CHANGE”… both good and bad.  It is funny that I had today’s post almost completely done back in January, but the torrent of events tore me away from this post that was so important to me at the time.  I am saddened to think of how I have deprioritized God these past 11-1/2 months and allowed the things of this world to choke out my love of studying God’s Word, writing, and even praying to the One who can change the circumstances!  So, without further ado, I will pick this post back up and bring it to completion in the hopes that the encouragement that I have so desperately needed over the past year could be obtained through the message the Holy Spirit was trying to speak to, and through me back in January.  At the time, I had been studying the Book of Acts with my Monday Virtual Bible Study and in my own personal devotional time.  I was planning to wrap up our Overcoming Adversity Series with Barnabas, another early church believer who overcame adversity through encouragement; but before I do, I just wanted to mention that if you are just coming into the series now, you can go and read them all in order by just clicking here.  At the end of the post, I will have them all listed individually with the Overcomer(s) name for easy reference.

Today’s Thought may seem a little bit of a stretch, how do you “Overcome Adversity Through Encouragement?”  Well one thing that I have learned is that when I focus on ME and about my problems, then it is so much harder to get through whatever dark season of life I am in.  But when I lay aside my worries, fears, or issues, and try to be an encouragement to help others then I find that I am helped even more than the person I was reaching out to.  When Jesus walked this earth as a man, He gave us the example that our lives should be spent serving God and helping others.  And that is what I believe Barnabas was all about!  In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Honest Self-Evaluation ★, I spoke about this great man of God who consistently chased after God, so if you want some additional background, I would stop and read that first as we will not be repeating the content here.

We are first introduced to Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37 (NLT) which says…

“…there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”).  He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.  He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”

What a nickname…“A Son of Encouragement!”  Practically speaking, it was appropriate for Barnabas to be sent to Antioch since he was from the nearby island of Cyprus but being familiar with the region and being an encourager was not his only qualifications.  Barnabas is described in greater detail in Acts 11:24 (NLT):

“Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.  And many people were brought to the Lord.”

In these two passages we learn a lot, Barnabas…

• Thought of others — He was an encourager.
• He was generous, and Kingdom-minded — Selling his field and giving the proceeds to the Apostles.
• Full of the Holy Spirit.
• Strong in the faith.
• And an Evangelist!

Wow!  What a resume.  This is my earnest desire, to be “A Son of Encouragement” and to be “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith,” that many people will come to the Lord as a result!  But if I am being honest, I have been pretty self-consumed with my own issues and the competing outside pressures that I have not been much like Barnabas of late.  I know this is the enemy trying to discourage and fill me with disillusionment, but I also want to be transparent with you as I think, “what have I done for the Kingdom lately”…but back to Barnabas.  If we back up just 2 verses, we see that Barnabas was sent to Antioch, a pagan city because of the reports Gentiles were believing and turning to the Lord.  In Acts of the Apostles 11:22-23 (NLT) it says:

“When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.”

David Guzik had this commentary on Acts 11:22-24:

“The church in Jerusalem sent an able man in Barnabas, previously known for his generosity (Acts 4:36-37) and his warm acceptance of Saul of Tarsus after he was converted (Acts 9:26-28).”

“Barnabas rightly focused on his main job as a leader of the congregation.  He strengthened the church family itself, with the result that a great many people were added to the Lord.”

I have heard it said that when the Holy Spirit is moving, get on board wherever that may be. Barnabas rolled up his sleeves and got to work encouraging and ministering to the Gentiles in Antioch.  Then as you continue to read Acts of the Apostles 11:25-26 (NLT) it seems to be a side note but it is quite profound:

“Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”

Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36-37), who helped Saul (AKA Paul) to get connected to others believers after his conversation (Acts 9:26-28), is now leading many people in the pagan city of Antioch come to faith in Jesus (Acts 11:22-24), now leaves to go look for Saul.  What I love is that Barnabas does not want to go it alone, but instead he searches for him and brings Saul back so they could work together in this ministry opportunity.  You may recall from that Saul was sent to Tarsus for his own protection after the Jews in Jerusalem tried to murder him, (See Acts 9:28-30). David Guzik also had this commentary on Acts 11:26:

“Saul had spent some twelve years in Tarsus since we last met him; these years were not wasted or lost, but spent in quiet ministry and preparation for future service.”

This is quite interesting when you think about the fact that Saul, who will eventually go by the name Paul, is known for his missionary journeys throughout the known world as one of the chief evangelists of the faith, and an author of most of the New Testament; this same man stayed in one place for (12) years.  One could conceivably attribute Barnabas for helping to launch Saul’s ministry career.  It is unclear exactly why Barnabas left to get Paul, it could be that the church growth was exploding in Antioch, and he needed help, or perhaps it was that he wanted to follow the model that Jesus set forth in Luke 10:1-2 (NLT)…

“The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them:

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, so I think Barnabas desired to have a partner in ministry like how Peter and John, who travelled together.  Reminds me of what Charles Stanley once said:

“Our faith is never a solitary business, but it is meant to grow in community.“

That, to me, has become my life’s mission, to connect with other men in Biblical Community to help them grow in their knowledge of the Bible, and love of the Lord.  The Virtual Bible Studies that I facilitate Monday through Friday have become my ministry which started off as a solitary quiet time with the Lord and as I grew in my understanding and love for His Word, He gave me the privilege to work alongside the Holy Spirit to challenge men to engage with the Bible and get to know the Author of the faith they profess in a deeper way.  It all starts with us being faithful in small, consistent ways and then all of sudden God will give you your assignment.  That is what happened to Barnabas and Saul in Acts of the Apostles 13:2-3 (NLT) as they were worshiping the Lord and fasting with other brothers, they received their life’s calling from the Holy Spirit.

“One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.” 

From Acts 13:4 thru 15:35 Barnabas and Saul did incredible work together traversing a huge part of the know world is what is referred to as Paul’s first missionary journey:

But with all good things, their partnership came to an end.  Acts of the Apostles 15:38-40 (NLT) proves that no matter how anointed you may be with the Holy Spirit, personal feelings can cause division between believers, resulting in the separation of the dynamic duo of Paul and Barnabas.

“But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work [See Acts 13:13]. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care.”

I am closing this post on what may feel like a bit of a downer, but that is intentional because in life we will face challenges and have people disappoint us or abandon us, but it is in that moment we must decide, will we walk away from the assignment God has given us or persevere?  Barnabas and Paul separated, but Barnabas continued, working for the Lord with John Mark.  One might say, why?  Perhaps Barnabas saw another “Paul” in the making with John Mark?  After all it was Barnabas who helped Paul to get started when he went to Tarsus to ask for his help in Antioch (See Acts 11:25-26).  Also, there is the fact that Barnabas was John Mark’s cousin (See Colossians 4:10), so besides that and the fact that being an encourager, Barnabas was probably more willing to cut John Mark some slack.  Once again Barnabas gives us another encouragement.  As we approach Christmas let’s persevere through whatever adversity we are facing through the encouragement we offer to others.  Don’t let the enemy steal the joy of this season and truth that Jesus is all we need!  Please pray for me for what the next series will be…and that I will overcome this season of adversity!

Merry Christmas!

★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★

Here are the previous post to our Overcoming Adversity Series:

• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Character ★ based on Daniel.
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity through Faith – Part 2 ★ based on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego).
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★ based on Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Loyalty – Part 4 ★ based on Jehoiada the Priest.
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Courage – Part 5 ★ based on Joshua.
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Service – Part 6A ★ based on Phillip.
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Service – Part 6B ★ based on Stephen.

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Courage – Part 5 ★

I hope that you have been enjoying the series about men and women in scripture who consistently chased after God and faithfully worked at building His Kingdom, overcoming adversity because of a particular trait.  So far, we covered:

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Character ★

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Faith – Part 2 ★

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Loyalty – Part 4 ★

These (8) men and women as well as the other “OVERCOMERS” we will study lived out our anchor verse from Joshua 1:8 (NLT) that we have been reviewing each post:

“Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” 

This truth is as applicable to us today as when it was spoken thousands of years ago, but I thought today we would look at the context of this verse through our next two Overcomers: Joshua and Caleb, who did so through courage! 

I will forever beat the drum that “context is everything.”  I truly believe that we do a disservice to ourselves and to God when we just à la carte the Bible, cherry-picking verses to build our theology upon.  So, in keeping with that, let’s look at the events of when this word of encouragement was spoken.  The nation of Israel was at a preverbal crossroad in their history.  They had just finished (40) years of wandering in the wilderness because of their lack of faith that God would deliver them.  For those who may not know or remember. Moses has sent 12 spies into the Promise Land to see what the land was like.  After 10 of the 12 spies gave a bad report about how hopeless their odds were to actually overcome the giants that lived there, the people rebelled against Moses and his brother Aaron and as a result God punished them, (see Numbers Chapters 13-14 and Numbers 33-38).  I did want to point out the other 2 spies who gave a good report to the people were our Overcomers spotlighted today.  In Numbers 14:6-9 (NLT):

“Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!””

Amazing huh?  In the previous verses, the 10 spies whipped the people into a fear-full frenzy about the inhabitants of the land, but these 2 courageous men stood in the gap for God and boldly testified that regardless of their size, “They are only helpless prey to us!  They have no protection, but the Lord is with us!  Don’t be afraid of them!”  It is not easy standing up for what is right, especially when the vast majority is opposed to you.  In today’s world we see that too, that what is wrong is right and what is right is wrong.  Calling yourself a Christian or Christ-Follower is a label that many see as intolerant and hateful to what the world celebrates.  Persecution of Christians is rampant all over the world and though in America Christians are not out rightly being imprisoned or executed for their faith, there is still consequences for standing for God.  Numbers 14:10-12 (NLT) records the reaction the people have to Joshua and Caleb’s faith in the God, who mind you had delivered them from Egyptian Slavery 40 years earlier …

“But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. 

Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.  And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?  Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?  I will disown them and destroy them with a plague.  Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!” 

Have you ever heard of such an insane reaction to a word of encouragement?  The whole community wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb!!  That has always baffled me, what did they say that deserved to be stoned to death?!  I love how God stepped in and saved his courageous servants with a threat of His own!  As the story unfolds, Moses interceded for the people and God relented from killing them on the spot but there were consequences for their sin as Numbers 14:28-30 (NLT) recounts:

“Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”

If you are curious, in Numbers 14:33-38 it gives the justification that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for forty years as payment for the community’s faithlessness, until everyone of that generation would die off.  The number of years of wandering was because the spies explored the land for forty days, so they had to “wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of [their] sins…Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.”  If you want to dig into this some more, here are some key passages to look at: Numbers 14:20-24, 14:33-38 and Numbers 20:6-13.

So fast forward to the time of when our anchor verse was spoken to Joshua.  Moses, the great prophet and deliverer of the Israelite people from Egyptian slavery is dead (see Deuteronomy 34:5).  Before his passing, Moses announced to the people in Deuteronomy 31:1-3 that Joshua would be his successor and that he would lead them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  But before that was to happen, God visited with Joshua to give him encouragement and to let him know that it was time for them to enter the Promised Land (see Joshua 1:1-4), in verse 5, the Creator of the Universe says:

“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.  For I will be with you as I was with Moses.  I will not fail you or abandon you.”

Could you imagine getting that promise directly from the LORD?  What a way to start a book and to prepare to go into battle.  I often wish that I could get an audible message from God like that, but we live in different times.  Today, we have God, the Holy Spirit living inside of us as 1 John 4:4 (NLT) says:

“But you belong to God, my dear children.  You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

Notice the capital “S” which is for the Holy Spirit and then the second reference with the lowercase “s” which represents the satanic forces that are coming against us daily.  When you look at 1 John 1:1-4, it is clear that the passage is referencing the Holy Spirit who lives inside us!  So, we have to listen for that “small, still voice inside us” where Joshua needed to be visited by the Lord and look what He says to him in Joshua 1:6-9 (NLT):

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.  Be strong and very courageous.  Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you.  Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left.  Then you will be successful in everything you do.  Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.  This is my command — be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What a great passage telling us that even when we WILL face adversity, that God will always be with us through the storms of life!  In (4) verses God says, “Be strong and courageous” (3) times!  That tells me that Joshua (and myself) need to work out our faith and trust God regardless of circumstances!  In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Be Strong and Courageous ★, we unpacked this passage thoroughly, so I’d recommend you go check it out for more context but something that you don’t typically see is an instruction repeated three times in the same passage of scripture.  But in Joshua 1:6-9, we find that the Lord saw the need to repeat Himself.  In my Monday Bible Study we have been going through the book of Ezekiel, the LORD felt the need to repeat Himself 3 times in Ezekiel 2:6 (NLT) to encourage his Prophet to the people of Judah with the command to “not be fearful, afraid or dismayed.”

““Son of man, do not fear them or their words.  Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions.  Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels.”

It is interesting that though there are over 800 years separating these mighty men of God, the same Holy Spirit was speaking through them to His servants!!  I thought how interesting that Ezekiel who we just unpacked in the post ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★ was in need of some encouragement just like Joshua, just like you and I do!  We all have seasons of doubt and fear, but we must remember that God is always with us, we just have to trust Him!  I thought how perfect this is that though written centuries apart, Ezekiel 2:8 and Joshua 1:6-9 are perfect companion verses.

• Do not fear = Be strong and courageous.
• Don’t be afraid = Be strong and very courageous.
• Do not be dismayed = Be strong and courageous!

We don’t have time to get into all the stories but if you have not read the Book of Joshua lately I would check it out because after this encouragement from the Lord, Joshua gives the charge to the Israelites that they were going into the Promised Land and ultimately one battle after another they saw God come through for them.  Today regardless of what you are facing whether it be isolation because of your faith, persecution, illness, or unemployment, follow the example of Joshua and Caleb and be strong and courageous!

Stay tuned for the next post in the series…

★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★

★ Thought for the Day – What’s Your Blanket? ★

★ Thought for the Day – Chain Reaction Catalyst ★

★ Thought for the Day – Stand Up for What is Right ★

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★

Today we remember a great man who gave up his life in service to his fellow man.  Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and activist who is probably the well-known leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.  One of my favorite quotes from him is….

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches.

Motivated by his Christian beliefs, Martin Luther King Jr. persevered to advance the civil rights movement through nonviolence and civil disobedience.  He is an amazing modern-day example of our topic today Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance.

We are in a series looking at great men and women of the faith exemplified an attribute that aided them to overcome the storms of life.  We started in the book of Daniel with Daniel refusing to pray to another god resulting in him being thrown in the Lions’ Den and then about his 3 friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego who refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue.  Daniel and his (3) friends were just a few Jews who were taken from their homeland and brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar but what we don’t think too much about are those Jews who were not taken away.  Today we will be looking at the lives of two men of God who prophesied to the people of Judah during the same time as Daniel.  The first is the prophet Jeremiah who was left behind in Jerusalem as many of his countrymen were carried away.  He is the author of 2 out of the 5 books of the major prophets — One bearing his name which warns of the impending consequences of Judah’s rebellion and subsequent downfall.  The second is the book of Lamentations that picks up after the destruction of the Holy City.  Like Martin Luther King Jr., Jeremiah was a shining light who persevered in a very dark period of Judah’s history.  He also had his life threatened and was imprisoned several times for preaching an unpopular message that judgement was coming.  Charles Stanley described him this way…

“Jeremiah, who was called the “weeping prophet,” labored for more than 40 years proclaiming a message of doom to the stiff-necked an unrepentant people of Judah.”

The other prophet, who was also a contemporary of Jeremiah was Ezekiel who was in Babylonian captivity like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego.  His ministry was also one of perseverance trying to push back the darkness with the light and truth of God’s message to a rebellious people.  In fact before Ezekiel started his ministry or spoke his first message, God told him in Ezekiel 3:4b, 7-9 (NLT):

““Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages…But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me!  For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn.  But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are.  I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock!  So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.””

I don’t know about you but that does not sound like an assignment I would want!  Hahaha!  Like Jeremiah, his message was not well received, and he too faced great opposition.  God used both men as “object lessons” to convey His plans to a stiff-necked obstinate people.  Tasked with difficult assignments, they had to overcome significant persecution, threats to their life and great personal loss.  So, if you are keeping track, I have added Jeremiah and Ezekiel onto our list of the men and women who pursued God faithfully…The seemingly futile ministry of Jeremiah and Ezekiel to the people of Judah to bring His people back into right relationship with Him.  In the sermon called “God’s Greatest Desire” by Robert Morris, he made the point that

“You will be my people, and I will be your God” is one of the most repeated phrases in the Bible.  Genesis 17:7 (NKJV) is where it all started off.  God tells Abraham…

“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

Here is the list of passages that Robert Morris mentioned and others that I have found as well that you can refer to (If you want to read all the references for click here.)As I looked at the list of scriptures I found it interesting that in the Old Testament Book Jeremiah, the phrase “They will be my people, and I will be their God” is mentioned (7) times, the most than of any other book!!  I think since Jeremiah was left behind in Jerusalem after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Holy City and exiled the people to Babylon, he had a unique perspective of the events.  I recently discovered this one from Jeremiah 32:37-41 (NLT) that beautifully displays the amazing grace of God who promises to restore the people once again to the land even after all the hurt they have inflicted on God!!

“I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.”

God is without a doubt in the restoration business!  I forgot to mention this in the beginning introduction to Ezekiel, but Charles Stanley had this to say about him:

“Ezekiel’s prophecies for God’s people can be seen as a companion piece to those of Jeremiah.  While Jeremiah delivered a frightening message primarily of judgment and destruction, Ezekiel’s messages focused more on restoration and reconstruction.”

Ezekiel 36 is a powerful chapter that lays out God’s plan clearly.  Ezekiel 36:22 (NLT) shows how lost the people were.  God promised to bring the people back not because they deserve it but because of how bad they made Him look…

““Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.”

I pray that is never true of me that I make God ashamed that I call myself a follower of Christ.  I am reminded of Colossians 3:17 (NLT) which says:

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

And if I may go back to Dr. King for a moment, that is without a doubt the case with that great man of God!  My prayer is that my actions will ALWAYS represent my Savior well.  The way this happens interestingly enough is found just 4 verses later in Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) which says:

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

Only with a new heart and the Holy Spirit activated in my life can I even hope to fulfill the command in Colossians 3:17!  Right after God promises to give them a new heart and put in a new spirit, Ezekiel 36:28 (NLT) reinforces the familiar promise…

““And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

I so love Ezekiel and how he preserved through so much.  We have been going through the book in our Monday morning Bible Study for the past 8 months — lots to unpack from this major prophet!  Going back to the list of scriptures, it is interesting to me that there are (6) mentions of the phrase “They will be my people, and I will be their God” in the Book of Ezekiel, so between Jeremiah and Ezekiel God reminds His people (13) times!  I wonder if it is stated so many times because God really wanted His people to know how much He loved them, and that regardless of their circumstances of captivity that they were in, He desires to bring them back into relationship with Him!  The same is true for us today!  No matter what you are going through whether it is no fault of your own or as a result of bad choices God wants to restore you.  And if you are still wondering what is God’s greatest desire?  Well Robert Morris made this point…“God’s greatest desire is you!”

Through a relationship with Jesus, ANYONE who calls on the name of Jesus is instantly grafted into the Family Tree.  And then these verses from Jeremiah and Ezekiel do not just apply to the People of Israel but to EVERYONE!  God wants to bring ALL people into relationship with Him!  “How can I do that” you say, well I am glad you asked…The answer is found in Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)…

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

That is why Jesus came into this world to be the light that leads us back to the Father.  He achieved what Martin Luther King Jr. said that…

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Jesus is the light of the world and is the epitome of love in its purest form, will you trust in Him today?   If you have already made Jesus the Lord of your life, let’s continue to persevere as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had done and drive out the darkness and hate through our light and love as Dr. King urged us to do!

Click here for the next post in the series…

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Loyalty – Part 4 ★

★ What to Dig Deeper? ★

★ Back to the Basics – GOD IS…A SURGEON ★,

In which we studied the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel who were major prophets like Daniel living at the same dark time period in Judah’s history (of the decline of the nation and during the Babylonian Captivity) yet in very different situations.  Jeremiah prophesied while still in the land of Judah while Ezekiel was taken off to Babylon.

★ Back to the Basics – Validity of God’s Word ★

★ “Back to the Basics” – Pursuit #2 – What Are You Feeding On? ★

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Faith – Part 2 ★

In our last post ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Character ★ we revealed that in the coming months we will unpack stories of different “OVERCOMERS” in scripture who consistently chased after God, and faithfully worked at building His Kingdom.  Men and women who modeled our anchor verse from Joshua 1:8 (NLT) well:

“STUDY this Book of Instruction CONTINUALLY.  MEDITATE on it day and night so you will be sure to OBEY everything written in it.  Only then will you PROSPER and SUCCEED in all you do.”

And just a reminder this was the list of people that we will pick some to explore to draw encouragement from the lives they lived.

We kicked off the series discussing one of my favorite Old Testament characters Daniel and how he overcame adversity through the strength of his character and his faithfulness to God’s Word.  The consistency of which was so strong that his life impacted the whole world (see Daniel 6:25-27)!  Since the book of Daniel is a favorite of mine I thought I would go back to it for today’s Thought as we look at overcoming adversity through faith in Daniel Chapter 3 with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  You may be thinking who are they?  You probably know them by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  We first meet them in Daniel 1:5-7 (NLT), which recalls how Daniel and his (3) friends literally had their identity changed!

“The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 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.”

A buddy of mine had this in his study bible that is so helpful to see the reprogramming that was being done to them:

This was common practice to immerse foreigners into the Babylonian culture from literature to learning the language so that they would be ready to enter the royal service.  It’s interesting to me that we hardly ever hear Daniel referred to as Belteshazzar, he is referred to primarily by his Hebrew name for most of the Book but yet his (3) friends are known primarily by their Babylonian names after chapter 1 and never their Hebrew names.  For the purpose of familiarity, I will continue to use their Babylonian names.  Iain M. Duguid made this point:

“These Babylonian names invoked the help of the Babylonian gods, Marduk, Bel, Nebo, rather than Israel’s Lord.”

In every way possible, the Babylonians tried to erase who they were.  Iain drew from the lives Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were living in exile and made it relevant to us today…

“As citizens of heaven, Christians live as aliens and strangers in a land that is not their own and there are times when the world’s enmity to the people of God becomes evident. The hostility of the world is often shown in the efforts it makes to squeeze us into its mold. It wants to make us conform to its values and standards and not to stick out from the crowd…We have to choose daily whether to be a part of this world in which we live, or to take the difficult path of standing against it.” 

And that is where faith comes into play, will we trust in God no matter what threat comes against us or will we buckle under the pressure?  It is a choice that will definitely have consequences, whether they be minor inconveniences or a major life impact to the point of death.  In the post called ★ Thought for the Day – Chain Reaction Catalyst ★, I shared Romans 1:16 (ESV) in relation to Rachel Joy Scott who was a devout Christian that did not waver in her faith and as a result was killed in the Columbine High School Massacre which says:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

It is undeniable that Rachel was not ashamed to the point of giving her life up for her faith.  And in today’s case study of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego we will see that is the case as well.  Daniel Chapter 3 will be the main text for today which starts off with King Nebuchadnezzar setting up a 90-foot-tall x 9-foot-wide gold statue in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.  He calls all his high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue and then in Daniel 3:4-6 (NLT) it says…

“Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command!  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.  Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

This presented a major problem because the #2 Commandment is quite clear:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”  (Exodus 20:4-6)

Any Jew complying with Nebuchadnezzar’s demand would be breaking this commandment as well as bringing a curse down upon their descendants to the third and fourth generations!  Well as the story unfolds, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose not to worship the King’s idol and as a result their enemies brought this rebellion to Nebuchadnezzar’s attention.  I should mention that at the end of chapter 2, Daniel and his (3) friends we promoted to a high position of power (see Daniel 2:48-49) which is probably what prompted some of the astrologers (or Chaldeans) to inform on them, either out of jealousy or political motivation.  The interesting thing is that in verse 12 they single out the (3) friends even though there are many other Jews who probably did not bow their knee to the gold statue, namely Daniel.

“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.”  (Daniel 3:12)

As you would expect, Nebuchadnezzar flies into a rage and interrogates to try to get them to change their mind with the threat that they “will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace” if they do not worship the gold image.  Quite a dilemma huh?  Betray the God who created you by worshipping a false god or be immediately burned alive.  Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT) is one of the greatest responses to the threat of death I have ever heard.  Their answer to this impossible circumstance echoes Rachel Joy Scott and is what every believer should be ready to say:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 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. 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.””

All I can say is WOW!  Every time I read Daniel 3:16-18, I am amazed at how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego courageously stood their ground and overcame adversity through their faith.  In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Be Strong and Courageous ★ I shared about my oldest daughter going to Africa on a mission trip for two months to eSwatini (formally Swaziland) and South Africa; (it’s hard to believe that was a year and a half ago…a lot has changed in the world since then).  While in eSwatini, she learned to say hello in the Swazi language which is “Sawubona.”  One of the other girls on the trip got this tattoo in memory of her time there:

When my daughter came back, we got to hear the meaning firsthand from her friend.  The first part, “but if not” is a reference to Daniel 3:18, that even if God does not save them, their faith will not waver.  “Sawubona” is the greeting they used that literally translates to “I see you.”  Throughout the trip, God reminded my daughter’s friend with every person that greeted her that “He sees her.”  She said…

“So, put together, it means that even if God does not answer her prayers as expected, He still sees her and cares immensely for her God sees each and every one of us.” 

What a beautiful reminder!  In a recent Bible Study one of the guys brought up Jeremiah 1:12 (NLT) that dovetails beautifully:

“And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.””

God will certainly fulfill His plans though it may not be the way we would wish as I am sure our heroes of the story would attest too as we are about to see.  In his rage Nebuchadnezzar commanded the furnace to be heated SEVEN TIMES HOTTER than normal. Then three men threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire but as they did, the flames incinerated the executioners simultaneously.  Some good old retribution against those who would hurt God’s people.  And indeed, God did save the (3) friends.  Daniel 3:24-25 (NLT) says:

“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.  “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted.  “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed!  And the fourth looks like a god!””

Many believe this is an Old Testament visitation of Jesus who was in the fire with His faithful servants. The King then calls them out of the furnace, and all were astonished because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not only unharmed, but did not even smell of smoke!  And in one of the greatest reversals ever, Daniel 3:28 (NLT) recounts:

“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.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar added a threat against anyone who would speak ill of their God and just then in Daniel 3:30 (NLT) the reward of persevering through adversity is given:

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

What an incredible ending!  This story in my opinion expresses the depth of faith we as Christians need to have…

— GOD CAN save us.

— GOD WILL rescue us.

— BUT EVEN IF GOD DOESN’T . . .

    . . . WE WILL STILL TRUST HIM.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego give us a great example to not lose our faith if our prayers are not answered the way we expect.  I am sure that they prayed to not be found out that they would not worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol and yet they were.  And of course, they certainly would have rather been rescued BEFORE being thrown into the fire but then God would not have been able to display his power by saving His servants and showing to the King and everyone else that He is all powerful.  Like Daniel’s (3) friends, we need to be steadfast and committed to our faith even if the answer may be our “PLAN B.”  We need to trust that there is a reason and God’s “PLAN A” may have a higher purpose.  I will close with this reminder from Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)…

““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

 

Click here for the next post in the series…

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★

 

★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★

Check out the song “Another In The Fire” by Hillsong UNITED that is all about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.

★ Back to the Basics – GOD IS…FAITHFUL ★

★ Thought for the Day – The Unfathomable Payoff of Faith ★

Check out this message called “The Seduction of Pride” by Robert Morris.  He uses the biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar to show how the enemy uses pride to attack us.

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Character ★

On Monday we got Chinese food, and this is the message that was in my fortune cookie:

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

Ordinarily I read the fortunes and throw them away but this one got my attention.  Such a simple statement but so, so true.  One my absolute favorite quotes from John Maxwell that I heard at a Men’s Conference echoes this truth:

“I am always one step away from stupid.”

One bad decision can destroy your reputation as a person with character, your legacy and possibly your life.  It got me thinking about the list of men and women in the Bible who consistently pursued after God that I shared 7 months ago in the post called ★ Thought for the Day – Consistency Compounds ★.  Since then I have been adding to the list which are in red.Now of course the number one name that should be on the list is Jesus which Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) proclaims:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Without a doubt He is the example we should be following as no one has ever lived a more consistent life then the Savior of the World!  But I did not include Him on the list because I thought it would be interesting to look at ordinary men and women.  A buddy of mine asked why I was compiling this list and I told him that I was looking throughout scripture for people who I believe were great examples of what a life of Godly character looks like.  I am NOT putting them on a pedestal as some “Super-Christian,” because we all have has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard as Romans 3:23 reminds us…But rather to use their life as an encouragement, that like them, we too could overcome the enemy if we consistently seek the Lord!

So, in the coming months we will unpack stories of different “OVERCOMERS” in scripture.  This will be the opposite of the Temptation Series that we did back in 2017, which was all about learning from notable characters like LOT, NOAH, DAVID, ESAU, KING SAUL, THE 10 ISRAELITE SPIES and CAIN of “WHAT NOT TO.”  I pray that you will be encouraged by the people who consistently chased after God, and faithfully worked at building His Kingdom.  People who undoubtedly understood Joshua 1:8 (NLT) well:

“STUDY this Book of Instruction CONTINUALLY.  MEDITATE on it day and night so you will be sure to OBEY everything written in it.  Only then will you PROSPER and SUCCEED in all you do.”

This will be our anchor verse as it gives the battle plan on how to overcome the enemy!  Without further ado, today’s case study of Overcoming Adversity is the Old Testament character Daniel.  The Book of Daniel has always been a favorite of mine.  So many Sunday School Stories have come from there…

• Daniel and his friends refusing to eat King Nebuchadnezzar’s Food (See Daniel Chapter 1 – Especially Daniel 1:9).
• Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream about the shining statue of a man that foretold the downfall of the Babylon Empire; and the subsequent rise and fall of the Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires along with the future Divine Kingdom to come (See Daniel Chapter 2 – Especially Daniel 2:48-49).
• Daniel’s (3) friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego being thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the Gold Statue that King Nebuchadnezzar set up (See Daniel Chapter 3 – Especially Daniel 3:16-18).
• Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream about the tree that was an analogy to his reign. Just like the tree would be cut down, God was going to humble the King because of his pride.  He would be driven from human society for 7 years until Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that “the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world,” at which time then his kingdom would be given back to him.  (See Daniel Chapter 4 – Especially Daniel 4:34-37).
• Daniel interpreting the “Writing on the Wall,” which signaled the ending of Babylonian reign of King Belshazzar through the conquest of Darius the Mede. (See Daniel Chapter 5 – Especially Daniel 5:29-31).
• Daniel being thrown into the Lions’ Den because he ignored the law that was passed that for the next (30) days everyone must pray only to King Darius. Instead Daniel prayed to God just as he had always done regardless of the consequences (Daniel Chapter 6).

There is so much we could unpack with anyone of these major stories, but I think that the one that I want to focus on is chapter 6 but before I do, let’s cover some fun facts about Daniel.

First, I am a firm believer that God will equip and promote you in His timing.  In Daniel 1:17 (NLT) it shows that God blessed Daniel, and his (3) friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego) mightily with various gifts.

“God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.”

Secondly, favor is better than success.  Daniel 1:21 (NLT) shows the extent of God’s blessing:

“Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year (539 B.C.) of the reign of King Cyrus.”

Daniel remained in a high position of authority through the reigns of (4) pagan kings!  Now that is supernatural favor!!  Something to consider is the fact that Daniel was a foreigner living in exile in Babylon, he was in a position of power that spanned almost (70) years which is unheard of!  Think about when a new president is elected, EVERYONE is moved out and the winning side replaces them with “their own people.”  Daniel on the other hand, served for 7 decades under a (2) Babylonian Kings, a Mede and then a Persian King.

Lastly…most of the stories about Daniel in the book that bears his name, deal with events when he was under great stress and/or fearing for his life, but in reality, most of his life in Babylon was probably uneventful.  Iain M. Duguid made this point that really opened my mind to this, he said:

“Daniel lived a long life, spanning from the days of Nebuchadnezzar when he was carried off into exile from Judah to the time of Cyrus when the exile came to an end.  His adult life covered some 70 years. Much of that time was probably not very interesting at all. During many of those years, as far as we know, nothing special happened. There was just the difficult regular routine of Daniel’s faithfulness in a faraway land, trying to balance the demands of his two masters, the Babylonians and the Lord.”

I can honestly say, I never really thought of that before!  But like I mentioned in the last post, the routine of 2020 where I am under a mandatory work from home order and the exploding Covid cases has led to this year being one of the most consistent years of my life.  One day looks very much like the next which I think with the exceptions of these (6) well known stories, Daniel’s daily life was probably similar with a steady rhythm.  When I started the list, Daniel was the very first person I added because what we know of his life is the very definition of consistency.

Since that was a very lengthy introduction to the subject of this post, I am going to give you the Cliff Notes version of Daniel in the Lions’ Den (if you don’t you can click here to read it) and focus mainly on the events that preceded the seeming death sentence.  Like with King Nebuchadnezzar (in Daniel 1:18-20) and then King Belshazzar (in Daniel 5:29), Daniel was promoted by the third King to rule over the land, Darius the Mede.  Daniel 6:3 (NLT) recalls that:

“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.”

And just like today, when people are promoted, those who are passed over inevitably become jealous and look for ways to discredit the victor which is exactly the case with Daniel.  In the next two verses it says:

“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. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.””  Daniel 6:4-5 (NLT)

Not to make this political, but could you imagine someone in governmental office with so much character that the only way that they could be taken down is “in connection with the rules of his/her religion?”  That certainly would be refreshing, but I digress.  In the next 5 verses, Daniel’s enemies come up with a plan to entrap him.  They go to King Darius and play to his ego and propose a law that everyone in the Kingdom must only pray to the King and no other God or else they shall be thrown in the Lions’ Den.  We could go down a rabbit trail here and break down how Darius was susceptible to his administrators and high officials’ deception because of his pride but let’s put a pin in that one and just recognize that the King was played and that pride left unchecked in one’s life can have dangerous consequences both for ourselves and others.  My favorite part of the story is what Daniel did right after the law was enacted.  Daniel 6:10 (ESV) says:

“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem.  He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

Isn’t that amazing?!  Daniel was completely unaffected by whatever anyone did or what laws had changed, he just went home, knelt down as usual and prayed to God, just as he had done every day before!  The rhythm of Daniel’s life was one of praying three times a day and of gratitude despite living the majority of his life in captivity!  When you trust God completely, no king/governmental official, or changes in the law should affect how we conduct our life!  You can read Daniel 6:11-24 but in essence the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and immediately reported to the king that he broke the law and MUST BE PUNISHED because no law of the Medes and the Persians that the king signs can be changed.  Daniel was not the only one entrapped by this law, the King was too.  So even though he was distraught, the King gave the order and Daniel was thrown in the Lions’ Den.  I do want to note that the consistency of Daniel’s faith was so well known that this pagan king in Daniel 6:16b (NLT) held out hope that perhaps Daniel’s God would indeed rescue his faithful servant!

“The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.””

What a testimony!  As the story goes, the next morning Darius ran to the Lions’ Den to see if Daniel was saved and indeed, he was!  Then the King turned his attention on those who tricked him and had all of them along with their families thrown into the Lions’ Den.  Daniel 6:24b says:

“The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.” 

In Daniel 6:25-27 King Darius sends a message that “everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.  For He is the living God, and he will endure forever.  His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.”  And then the chapter simply ends with:

“So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”  Daniel 6:28 (NLT)

Daniel overcame adversity through the strength of his character and his faithfulness to God’s Word was so strong that his life impacted the whole world!  Consistency is key!  I will close 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT) which says:

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Check out the next post in the series…

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity through Faith – Part 2 ★

 

★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★

★ Thought for the Day – Honest Self-Evaluation ★

Check out this great sermon called “The Deception of Pride” by Robert Morris in which he teaches about the deception of King Darius and the dangers of pride in our lives.  Very applicable message!!

★ Thought for the Day – Consistency Compounds ★

★ Thought for the Day – Consistency Compounds Check-In ★