Last night we as a church began a study on the book of James. The first part of chapter one deals with Christians and trials in life. So part of last night was spent on discussing why Christians go through difficulties and suffering in this life. A quick overview is that sometimes it is because of sin in our life, sometimes it is to strengthen our faith, other times it is to prove our faith in genuine, and the last reason we discussed last night was that sometimes difficulties in life might not be for us, even though we are the ones going through them. Sometimes God uses suffering in the life of His children to bring others to faith in Him. I have many times said “God has a sense of humor.” I have also made the comment that before a preacher or teacher can properly teach something, they have to experience it. Well both of those statements are true for my family right now. We are going through a difficult trial right now, but I am convinced that this trial isn’t as much about us as it is about those around us. Not to say that I am not learning and growing through this trial, because by God’s grace I have and I am. And for some reasons I can’t really figure out and others that I am keenly aware of, I truly sense that God’s purpose for this trial is bigger than just me or my family. There are stories like this throughout the Bible (ever read the Gospels and what Jesus went through and who He went through it for). But there is one in particular that came to my mind today.
There was this young boy in the Old Testament. The Bible says that this boy’s greatest desire was to please God. He and some of his friends were taken captive when they were young and taken to a foreign land. This boy and three of his friends loved God so much that they actually refused to eat the king’s food because the king sacrificed animals to other gods, and they didn’t want any part of that. In fact for 10 days they ate nothing but vegetables and drank water, and they were healthier than those who ate the king’s food and drank his wine. This particular boy actually rose through the ranks of the king’s kingdom. Many years later when this boy was a man, another country came in and over threw the nation this man had been serving in for 70 years. So there was a new king, but this new king that a lot about this man as well. However, there were people who were jealous of this man and actually wanted to get rid of him. They tricked the new king into signing a law saying that it was illegal to ask any other person for help other than the king. Again this particular man knew that wasn’t right, and so the Bible tells us he went, opened his windows, got on his knees facing Jerusalem, and prayed just as he had always done. When the men caught him they took him to the king and said he must die. The king didn’t want to, but he had no other choice because this man had broken the law. This man’s sentence was that he would be thrown into the lion’s den. Of course this boy who grew into this man was named Daniel. Daniel had done what was right in God’s eyes, but he now faced a difficult and what many thought would be a deadly trial. We read in Daniel 6:16 that Darius, although he didn’t believe in Daniel’s God at this point, he thought God would deliver him. The king had Daniel threw into the lion’s den, and then he couldn’t sleep all night. When the morning came, king Darius went to the lion’s den. When he arrived he yelled down into the den, Daniel, did your God save you? I imagine that was probably one of the most agonizing times of waiting to see if Daniel would answer. Sure enough Daniel yells back, “long live the king, God sent His angel to shut the mouth of the lion’s and I am not hurt.” Most of us have heard up until this point, but I would submit to you that the main point of this passage is not Daniel’s obedience. He had already proven that. So let’s look at what Paul Harvey referred to as “the rest of the story.” Daniel 6:26 says, “I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.” God used Daniel to reach Darius! Darius declares “the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end.” That my friends is a deep theological statement. So what can we learn from this?
First and foremost, we as Christians need to live right before God even when everything seems to be going wrong. You and I may never realize who is watching us, but know that God can use us to bring glory to Him and draw others into a relationship with Him. My mentor told me several times, “once you enter into ministry, you forfeit the right to lose your cool in public.” I really believe he is right, but not just for ministers. I think that is a principle that applies to all Christians. When we lose our cool in public, it never seems to fail that a non-believer is right there to see our meltdown that makes the grand finale of Macy’s 4th of July fireworks display in New York look like a sparkler. Second, realize that trials and suffering are a part of life. If the Son of God went through them, why do we think we should be or deserve to be any different? Finally, always remember that God is working it out. It may be behind the scenes, you may not always feel or sense His presence, but He is there and He is working, simply trust His Person and His promises. Here is an awesome thought, God may use you to draw and save many people around you, and one day you will see them in heaven.
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him