Pressed On Every Side
Pressed On Every Side
Heat is necessary in our lives. The ordinary heat of the oven cooks our food; the heat of the sun grows our food and gives us warmth. There other heats that are necessary but that can hurt us while the same time doing us good. It is the heat of the pressure from within and without. We are like orange. We need pressure to squeeze the juice out of us. As believers in Christ, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body”. 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10. This was Apostle Paul describing his life and ministry.
In Daniel 6, we see that Daniel who had the “Spirit of God” in him (making him a believer in Christ just like us) was no exception to pressure. Daniel would be lied about and even pressed into the lion’s den for God to be glorified in a heathen nation. Are you still praying for God to use you and for His glory to shine? Then like Paul and Daniel, let’s be open to the pressures from every side knowing that we will not be crushed.
Daniel 6:1-9, 15-23 (Please read the entire chapter 6)
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
6 So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. 8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
15 Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed."
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" 21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 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. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Notice the change in power. Darius the Mede is now in-charge with Cyrus the Persian vs. 28. The “golden head” of king Neb’s dream (Daniel 3) has been shattered and now a new kingdom represented by the “chest and arms of silver” has been ushered in. God’s word is being fulfilled and it shall not return without accomplishing what it was spoken for.
2. Daniel’s excellent spirit is manifestation of the Spirit of God in him vs.3. It is the spirit of follow-through. The worst testimony for Jesus is a believer who is lazy and cannot perform his/her task at work, home or anywhere. There are lazy people but they should not be us because the Spirit of God lives within us.
3. Daniel did not have the spirit of “perfectionism”. Perfectionist do not get anything done like the lazy people. Perfectionists are waiting for the best time and they perform to be perfect and then get the glory. Well they end of procrastinating and never accomplish and complete the task at hand. Ask God to rid you of the spirit of perfectionism so that the life of Christ in you may shine. Christ is the perfect one and He is our perfection. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. Galatians 2:20.
4. Jealousy is bound to come when you excel. The other administrators lied against Daniel vs. 7. They also looked for fault to trap Daniel. “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent”. May the fault found about you and me be our devotion to our God and not that we are sloppy at work and/or incompetent.
5. Daniel knew about the decree but went on to pray vs.10-11. He did not hide but rather prayed so that his accusers would find out. There are no “closet” true believers in Christ. Even the gay community is coming out and why wouldn’t Christians.
6. Daniel prayed as it was his custom. It was not the crisis prayer that most of us pray. We should pray at all times. Daniel prayed 3 times a day. We can pray without ceasing now because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who “helps in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us”. Romans 8:26.
7. When we pray we declare that we are totally dependent on God. According to Oswald Chambers, “Prayer is an interruption of personal ambition, and no person who is busy has time to pray. What will suffer is the life of God in him, which is nourished not by food but by prayer”. Let’s see lack of praying as starving the life of God in us.
8. King Darius testified that Daniel was “serving continually” and not occasionally when things are looking good. Serving God is like being married (and we are called the bride of Christ). It is commitment for better or for worse; sunshine, rain, summer, winter and spring and for all seasons. See 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Always give yourself fully”.
9. Remember that that the lion was real and hungry. We will face real and threatening situations but our God will not leave us nor forsake us. The outcome is important but most important is the knowledge that God is with us at all times. He is the “ever present help” at all times. Is it your marriage, children, work or whatever the real lion of the hour that is about to swallow you? “Chilax”! God is in the lion’s den also.
10. Now let God get the glory. “Show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”. Hear king Darius declare “people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” vs.26. What a great reputation to have where we work, in our neighborhoods, homes and schools. May people know us by our God! Are you in, around the lion’s den today? Then pray to our Father. We must embrace the attitude of dying daily that the life of Christ will be lived through us. God is bigger than anything that is pressing you right now. On a daily basis He allows pressure so that we know that our sufficiency is in Christ that lives in us. “For we who are alive are always being given to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body”. In addition we must excel in all that we do and do them well to the glory of God. Let's boycott sloppiness and laziness. Amen
Heat is necessary in our lives. The ordinary heat of the oven cooks our food; the heat of the sun grows our food and gives us warmth. There other heats that are necessary but that can hurt us while the same time doing us good. It is the heat of the pressure from within and without. We are like orange. We need pressure to squeeze the juice out of us. As believers in Christ, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body”. 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10. This was Apostle Paul describing his life and ministry.
In Daniel 6, we see that Daniel who had the “Spirit of God” in him (making him a believer in Christ just like us) was no exception to pressure. Daniel would be lied about and even pressed into the lion’s den for God to be glorified in a heathen nation. Are you still praying for God to use you and for His glory to shine? Then like Paul and Daniel, let’s be open to the pressures from every side knowing that we will not be crushed.
Daniel 6:1-9, 15-23 (Please read the entire chapter 6)
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
6 So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. 8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
15 Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed."
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" 21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 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. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Notice the change in power. Darius the Mede is now in-charge with Cyrus the Persian vs. 28. The “golden head” of king Neb’s dream (Daniel 3) has been shattered and now a new kingdom represented by the “chest and arms of silver” has been ushered in. God’s word is being fulfilled and it shall not return without accomplishing what it was spoken for.
2. Daniel’s excellent spirit is manifestation of the Spirit of God in him vs.3. It is the spirit of follow-through. The worst testimony for Jesus is a believer who is lazy and cannot perform his/her task at work, home or anywhere. There are lazy people but they should not be us because the Spirit of God lives within us.
3. Daniel did not have the spirit of “perfectionism”. Perfectionist do not get anything done like the lazy people. Perfectionists are waiting for the best time and they perform to be perfect and then get the glory. Well they end of procrastinating and never accomplish and complete the task at hand. Ask God to rid you of the spirit of perfectionism so that the life of Christ in you may shine. Christ is the perfect one and He is our perfection. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. Galatians 2:20.
4. Jealousy is bound to come when you excel. The other administrators lied against Daniel vs. 7. They also looked for fault to trap Daniel. “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent”. May the fault found about you and me be our devotion to our God and not that we are sloppy at work and/or incompetent.
5. Daniel knew about the decree but went on to pray vs.10-11. He did not hide but rather prayed so that his accusers would find out. There are no “closet” true believers in Christ. Even the gay community is coming out and why wouldn’t Christians.
6. Daniel prayed as it was his custom. It was not the crisis prayer that most of us pray. We should pray at all times. Daniel prayed 3 times a day. We can pray without ceasing now because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who “helps in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us”. Romans 8:26.
7. When we pray we declare that we are totally dependent on God. According to Oswald Chambers, “Prayer is an interruption of personal ambition, and no person who is busy has time to pray. What will suffer is the life of God in him, which is nourished not by food but by prayer”. Let’s see lack of praying as starving the life of God in us.
8. King Darius testified that Daniel was “serving continually” and not occasionally when things are looking good. Serving God is like being married (and we are called the bride of Christ). It is commitment for better or for worse; sunshine, rain, summer, winter and spring and for all seasons. See 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Always give yourself fully”.
9. Remember that that the lion was real and hungry. We will face real and threatening situations but our God will not leave us nor forsake us. The outcome is important but most important is the knowledge that God is with us at all times. He is the “ever present help” at all times. Is it your marriage, children, work or whatever the real lion of the hour that is about to swallow you? “Chilax”! God is in the lion’s den also.
10. Now let God get the glory. “Show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”. Hear king Darius declare “people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” vs.26. What a great reputation to have where we work, in our neighborhoods, homes and schools. May people know us by our God! Are you in, around the lion’s den today? Then pray to our Father. We must embrace the attitude of dying daily that the life of Christ will be lived through us. God is bigger than anything that is pressing you right now. On a daily basis He allows pressure so that we know that our sufficiency is in Christ that lives in us. “For we who are alive are always being given to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body”. In addition we must excel in all that we do and do them well to the glory of God. Let's boycott sloppiness and laziness. Amen
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