BBD 07.19.04 Stand Firm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
like to encourage you to visit this great site at http://www.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap’s sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
http://www.christianpost.com.
The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)
07.19.04
Stand Firm
So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to
him: "King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the
administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted
together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that
whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall
be cast into the den of lions. - Daniel 6:6-7.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his
upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his
knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as
was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel
praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the
king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree
that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you,
O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said,
"The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
does not alter." - Daniel 6:10-12.
In the little Orange County, California school district of Westminister an
unusual thing happen during the spring. What was that strange thing?
Westminister was the only school district out of 1,056 in California to
reject and fail to apply a law. The law would allow students and the staff
to define whether they are male or female. Three trustees of five on the
Westminister school board voted that this law violates their Christian
principles. If the law were to be placed into effect, the trustees are
concerned it would lead to cross-dressing, and also problems with who would
be permitted in which bathroom. The trustees say that this would promote a
transsexual agenda. (Researching this story, I was unable to find the
current status of the situation.)
The trustees of Westminister risked loosing a large amount of state funding
by holding to their decision. What courage they have had in standing firm to
their view of what God would have them to do. Such courage is certainly rare
in the age in which we live. How long before such laws are forced upon
school districts across all of the United States? It will happen if more
godly principled people do not stand up for what is right.
Their stand for what is right reminded me of Daniel who risked more than
money to do the right thing. The law was passed making it illegal to pray to
any god or man except the king for 30 days. The penalty for failure to obey
the law was to be placed into a lion’s den, which meant that for all
practical purposes it would be a death sentence. Daniel knew this and still
he went home and prayed like he always did. He left his window open so his
enemies could see he was praying to his God as he always did. As a result,
Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. However, God intervened and sent an
angel to close the mouths of the lions. It must have been a shock to the
enemies of Daniel when he rose alive out of the den!
We too must stand for what is right or we will be overrun by the evil of
this world. It will be risky and even dangerous at times to do so as many
across this world know so very well. The apostle Paul gives us the battle
cry for Christians in the 21st Century, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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