Text:          Daniel 1:1-9

By:               SANNI, JOHN

Download Lesson

INTRODUCTION

Somebody once interviewed Jack Higgins (The author of The Eagle has landed) and asked him: What is it that you now know that you wished you had known? His reply was; I wish someone had told me that when you get to the top, there’s nothing there.

The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you feel will be the ultimate satisfaction, and it has let you down.

The question now is – Is it possible to be a totally fulfilled human without violating the laws of God, without crossing the boundary line that HE has set as a blueprint for your life and mine? If so, what does that kind of a man look like?

About 1,000 years before the era of Daniel, God had delivered the Nation of Israel from bondage in Egypt into the Promised Land.

That Journey could have been a very short journey; say 4 to 6 weeks. But it took them 40 years; what in our age we call two generations.

God explained why he took them through it all. He wanted to teach them 3 of the most vital lessons in life. Deuteronomy 8:2-3. 

• Humility – I wanted you to look into your heart and see your heart as I see it 

• Spirituality – That man would not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God 

• Faith – That as you wandered through the wilderness all these decades, I took care of your needs and never left you desolate 

ESSENTIAL LINES TO DRAW FOR AS DISCIPLINED CHRISTIANS 

• Daniel drew his first line of resistance by training his appetite (Daniel 1:8, 1 Corinthians 9:27). 

We are filled with hungers; Physical hungers, Emotional Hungers, Financial Hungers, Intellectual Hungers, Spiritual hungers and it is imperative in a disciplined way that we train what we begin to enjoy and shun what we know can get us softened up and loose us to the service of the King of Kings.

How did he do it? He learned to tame his desires so he doesn’t get trapped into such life style.

He drew his line of dependence.

He depended not on his learning, not on his language, not on his philosophical training, not on his understanding of all the cultural ethos with which he lived.

Daniel came to a point in his life where he had to learn where his true source of wisdom lies.

• It is also very pertinent to have someone you can lean on when you truly need urgent Intercession. Daniel 2:17 

The most fascinating thing about Daniel is that with all of his learning and philosophical expertise he learnt not to lean on his own understanding rather, he leaned on the Wisdom of God.

He drew his line of dependence by crying out to God.

The ability to recognize God behind your effort is wisdom. Education can give knowledge but it is God who gives wisdom upon that knowledge.

There is a greater fear; and it is that the love of God in the heart of young ones is fast diminishing.

It appears we have lost our wisdom, lost the ability to discern between what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong, and where Wisdom is absent, the tragedy of disbelief/ unbelief as the case may be is not that the person ends up believing in nothing, but that the person ends up believing in anything.

• Lastly, he drew his line of Confidence. (Daniel 6:1-10, Hebrews 10:35-36) 

They tried to force him to choose between God and the King; and Daniel says I am choosing to follow God; no matter what happens.

You want to throw me into the Lion’s Den that is fine. The three Hebrew boys said same we are not bowing our knees before a false god.

Throw us into the fiery furnace if you wish, our God is able to deliver us – even if he doesn’t, we will not.

That’s the kind of man you and I need to be; who draws the line of resistance, who draws the line of dependence, and who draws the line of confidence.

Those are the disciplines that molds you and I into the blueprint that God has for you and I in our lives.

Daniel drew his lines and those lines were crossed by 3 Babylonian Kings; Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Cyrus; they saw the kind of life he lived, the lines he drew, crossed the lines and moved over to Daniel’s side believing in the God whom Daniel served. (Daniel 4:34-37, Daniel 6:25-27, 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4) 

CONCLUSION

Jacob was running having betrayed his brother, and the day came when he was going to meet up with his brother.

He wrestled with God. He told God; I will not let YOU go unless YOU bless me.

He was not condemned by his previous deceitful deed. He only asked him; WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

Why did he ask him that? Years back, his earthly father Isaac asked him same question when he sought for a blessing that was not his and he lied.

This time around, he stands before a God and his personal declaration of his own true identity was necessary to know if he then deserves the blessing from God or not. (Genesis 32:22-33, Genesis 27:1-45)

When you rightly draw your lines, you may initially suffer humiliation from man but ultimately enjoy Peace from God.

Download Lesson