My Daily Pause

As Daniel noted the new decree that no one should be worshiped except the king, he went straight to his room and prayed. (Daniel 6:10)

Daniel’s attitude is a model for all Christians, no matter how God and his followers are attacked.

• He was not defiant – we see that he didn’t make a big deal out the fact he was going to worship his God. He just went about it as was his habit.
• He was not a coward – we do not see Daniel hiding his worship either. In fact, the folks that set him up to commit a “crime” easily caught him in the act of worshiping.
• He continued as always – It is difficult to fight for the right to practice something when we failed to exercise that right before it was threatened.
• His window was open toward Jerusalem – We send mixed messages when we claim to put God first but “open our windows” toward money, fashions, government or any other type of secular concern.
• He was faithful – Daniel didn’t have any concern for what his enemies thought, what the government legislated or his personal safety. Trusting God always works out in the long run

By the end of Daniel 6, God was recognized by the kingdom and the freedom to worship not only was preserved, but was enhanced.

Through Daniel’s example of faith, we see that God’s plan will prevail without our having to force it. We just need to …

• keep living faithful lives
• worship regularly without apology but without an air of defiance
• teach others when we can
• be an influence that makes others notice

… and let God use us to complete his work.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den circa 1614/1616 – Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 – 1640 )

Daily Bible reading for September 5

Psalm 34
1 Samuel 25
Daniel 6
Luke 3:23-4:13

Have you ever heard your mother or your wife start moving pots and pans in the kitchen and you knew exactly what she was about to make? Maybe it is the distinct sound of a mixing bowl or a cookie sheet. Whatever it happens to be, those sounds make your heart jump because you know something good is coming.

I wonder if that’s something like the psalmist was thinking when he said “praise befits the upright” (Psalm 33:1) …

I think about a God whose heart is glad when his children come together in fellowship. How must he feel when he hears the sounds of Christians encouraging each other? Does his attention snap right to us when the congregation begins a song of praise?

Like Noah’s sacrifice, what can we do today that God would consider a fragrant smell?

• Noah’s sacrifice caused the Lord to make a promise (Genesis 8:20-22)
• Paul tells us our sacrifices are a credit to us (Philippians 4:14-18)
• Brotherly love is a sacrifice that gets God’s attention (Ephesians 5:1-2)

As we conduct ourselves today, what can we do to make God feel the same way we feel when the pots and pans rattle? What could give him the pleasure we know from the smell of hot cookies right out of the oven?

Making God feel that way – to make God Glad – is the attitude with which we should be giving our praise, our offerings and our worship.

Daily Bible reading for September 4

Psalm 33
1 Samuel 23-24
Daniel 5
Luke 3:1-22

Have you ever tried to hide from a sin? Maybe it was against God or another person, but the feeling would be the same either way.

Hiding from a sin doesn’t do us much good.

David really nailed it in Psalm 32:3 about how it feels to have something like that on our conscience. A good dose of guilt is a little like a gift from God. It helps us to remember that we need God and we need to be in good standing with him. In Hebrews 12:5-13, we see that it is a sign of a Father’s love to be disciplined and our course corrected.

Those whose conscience are seared shut and hearts hardened will find themselves separated from God. This begins through ignorance of the word – the word that reveals God’s love and desire to forgive us. (1 Timothy 4:1-2, Ephesians 4:17-19)

Of course, those of us that know God’s willingness to forgive, and know his love for us often hide anyway. David said to quit acting like a donkey! (Psalm 32:9) Many of us will allow ourselves to be dragged along, too stubborn to be teachable or able to be lead.

We are fortunate enough to have Christ has our redeemer and shepherd. Through him God has extended his grace to us and we need not try to hide our sins. It is through him that we have freedom. (John 8:31-32)

Daily Bible reading for September 3

Psalm 32
1 Samuel 21-22
Daniel 4
Luke 2:22-52

It is difficult to fit everything we need to do in our lives these days. From the looks of it, the more modern conveniences we have, the busier we get. In a 24 hour connected world, we have become a people that never truly rest.

Just yesterday, my boss and I were in contact most of the day working on some side projects. This is supposed to be a three day holiday weekend!

As we prepare for worship today, our challenge is to tune out the world. We are passing up our rest, but stay in the right mindset for worship! Our temptation is to let the world in through our gadgets and devices. There are some important events going on in worship that are supposed to have our full attention, but the beeps, buzzes and flashes have trained us to stop what we are doing – Even at the expense of worship to our Lord.

It is now acceptable to bring my smartphone into worship and have it out because “my Bible is on it.” But what else is on it that might pull my attention away from the worship – if even for a second?

Our task – our urgent task – is to snap out of the trance like state that the smartphone addiction has brought upon us. This is true not only for Sunday, but so much of the world is passing by every day while we sit in front of our devices. Friendships, family, our mates. So many flesh and blood experiences are being passed over for the digital.

Let’s try to do it old school today. Even if only for the sake of Sunday rest.

Every time I read how Luke in his narrative and Elizabeth speaking to Mary refer to the life in her womb,  I think about how they both call it “the baby.” (Luke 1:39-45)

Baby in Womb – 14 Weeks

• He was not called a lump of cells.
• He was not called a fetus or any other scientific name

He leaped for joy when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, spoke to Elizabeth. So based on what the Bible tells us, the life inside the womb is a person and is capable of being filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:15)

The Biblical attitude of life in the womb is that the person’s life is already mapped out and that God is looking upon him, even then. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Baby in Womb – 17 Weeks

The Biblical attitude of life in the womb is that it is part of the Lord’s heritage. Further, it tells us the “fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3-5)

So an open question to the world is this:

Is that life in the womb a child or a choice?

If you still have trouble with this question, here are some more passages to consider:

• 1 Corinthians 12:18 – God arranged the members of the body
• Galatians 1:15 – Paul set apart before his birth
• Proverbs 6:17 – shedding innocent blood is something God hates
• Isaiah 49:1 – Isaiah was named from the womb
• Jeremiah 1:4-5 – Jeremiah was appointed a prophet from the womb