Consecrated To God

Monday, December 30

Daniel 1:4-6 (NLT)
“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah.”
Devotion

When Nebuchadnezzar overtook Jerusalem, he gave an order that hundreds of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble lines be brought to Babylon as captives. He gave them strict instructions to only take the best of the best; the strongest and most well educated. The king further instructed that they be given food and wine from his own kitchen and that they be trained in the language and ways of the Babylonians for three years. Among these young men were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

As we read the stories of these four young men, we immediately notice that they had the courage to stand on their godly heritage, even amid a vile and sinful nation. When their very lives were on the line, they stood firm in their faith, unwilling to compromise in either the small or the great. 

It's important to note that they did not make their decisions to do what was right on the spur of the moment. They had consecrated themselves to God long before they were put to the test. They had purposed within their hearts to do what was right in God’s eyes even if it cost them their very lives. Therefore, when the time came to bow or face a tormenting death, they chose to stand on their ‘Biblical’ morals and face death right in the face. Yet, we see that even though all four of them were led to their death, they came out unscathed because of their faithfulness to God and His faithfulness to them.

We, too, are living in the midst of a vile and sinful nation. The left political realm champions the killing of unborn babies in the name of women’s rights. The left offers young children of all ages the ability to mutilate their bodies and “change” their gender without the parent’s knowledge in the name of gender equality. When Christians stand firm in their faith on the fact that God created marriage to be undefiled between one man and one woman, the left labels it “hate speech” and vows to shut us down. Indeed, we have seen many Christian business owners fined or jailed for refusing to provide services on the grounds that it goes against their Biblical values. More than ever, we need to be faithful to do our part to alleviate these atrocities by being godly examples and voting according to what is right in God’s eyes. 

Are you consecrated to our Lord? If it comes to it, is your faith in Him so strong that you would face death rather than deny Him or bow to the gods of this world and the demands they place upon you? It’s time to strengthen your faith so that you can be found faithful, just as the heroes of the faith we find in the four young men from the tribe of Judah.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
I come humbly before You and ask that You forgive my sins as I turn from my evil ways and lay aside the sin and weights that trip me up. Please forgive our nation’s sins against You and heal our land so that we may once again be a light in this dark and sinful world. May all who come after us find us faithful within our spheres of influence and may America come to a place where we will reach the nations for Your Kingdom. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

Humble yourself, pray, seek God’s face, repent and turn from your ungodly ways and consecrate yourself unto Him. As you do your part, trust Him to forgive our nation’s sins and heal our land for the sake of your children and grandchildren.

Resources:

  • If you missed yesterday’s message, “The Ripple Effect Of Consecration”, watch it today and consecrate yourself to the will of God.
  • Join us today as we consecrate ourselves to pray, standing in the gap for America and your nation if you’re a part of our global family. Read and stand on 2 Chronicles 7:14-15, and stand in faith that God will do His part as you do yours.