David Diga Hernandez - Uncompromised: Walking in Total Obedience Toward God

So let’s go now to Daniel, chapter number six, verse number one. Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy because of his obedience toward God. Daniel found favor with man, but that same favor made him a target. People became jealous of him; people became envious of what God had given to him. There are ups and downs to favor. When you obey God, you’re walking in the favor of God no matter what your circumstances are. Now, favor doesn’t always mean what we imagine it means. Sometimes people think that favor means that everything goes perfectly, that nothing wrong ever happens, that there are no trials, that there is no resistance, and that everything is just this smooth path laid out before you. But that’s not the case. Favor with God is simply walking in obedience toward God and being at the center of His will, and sometimes being at the center of His will is uncomfortable. Sometimes being at the center of His will will require sacrifice. So there are ups and downs to favor; sometimes favor will put you in situations that seem favorable, and sometimes that same favor will put you in situations that are uncomfortable. But no matter what favor brings your way, just stay obedient, just stay focused on God, and just continue to trust Him. No matter what you face, when you do that, you can leave everything in God’s hands. Because as long as we are obedient toward God, we walk in the protection of His will. Continuing now at verse 5: So they concluded our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel would be in connection with the rules of his religion. So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, «Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next 30 days, any person who prays to anyone, divine or human, except to you, Your Majesty, will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed—an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.» So King Darius signed the law. You notice what they did here: they used Daniel’s devotion to God against him. This is what I mean when I say that sometimes your obedience toward God will seem to cost you. In fact, you will have to sacrifice; you will have to endure hardships; you will have to face uncomfortable situations. Sometimes serving God will seem like the popular thing to do, and sometimes serving God will cause men to hate you. Sometimes speaking truth will liberate people, and sometimes speaking truth will harden their hearts. Depending upon who you speak truth to, sometimes they’ll thank you for it, and other times they will try to cancel you for it. But whatever men or women do to us, whatever society does to us, whatever culture thinks of us is none of our business; that’s in God’s hands. We must remain focused on His Word, obedient to what He has said, committed to the cause of Christ, committed to the Gospel, and no matter what comes our way, all we must focus on is obedience to God. Sometimes doing the right thing will seem to put you in the wrong place, but just be obedient. Continuing now in verse 10: But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room with his windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law: «Did you not sign a law that for the next 30 days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human, except to you, Your Majesty, will be thrown into the den of lions?» «Yes,» the king replied, «that decision stands. It is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.» Then they told the king, «That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.» Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening, the men went together to the king and said, «Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.» So at last, the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, «May your God whom you serve so faithfully rescue you!» Even in the face of threats, Daniel obeyed God. Even when the government came against him, Daniel obeyed God. Even when people were upset, Daniel obeyed God. Even when the culture, even when society was resisting what he was doing, Daniel obeyed God. He stood.