Realizing Our Blessings


Many of us are familiar with the story of King Darius being tricked into signing a decree into law that stated that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. (Dan 6:7)

If we were to believe the reports of many, they would have you to believe that we are near the end of the earth here in America. Dare I mention the constant propaganda of constant “doom and gloom” about America embracing socialism, communism, fascism, or whatever “isms” you want to consider?! Am I saying that we should not care? No, those words have never been said. Am I embracing any of the ”isms” mentioned above simply because I am pointing out the fact that we need to concern ourselves more with spiritual matters and not politics? No, I am not and for anyone to leap to that assumption is 100% misguided. We do not lead people to God through any form of legislation. We do not lead people to God through any sort of “ism” listed above. We lead people to God through the gospel, the teachings of Christ.

2 John 9 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (KJV)

The example of Daniel is not only worthy to consider for ourselves as we continue to find ourselves in a highly politicized climate. It is an absolute must in order to truly understand what it will cost the believer in God!

Matt 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB)

I may not be certain of many things but here is one thing that I am 100% certain of. We can serve God under ANY circumstance. It does not matter what instance is put forth. If we sit here and come up with different ways of saying “I cannot serve God because I will be imprisoned.”, “I cannot serve God because I will be harassed by others.”, or even the extreme of “I cannot serve God because I will be put to death.”. I get it, that is very extreme and there is more than likely zero chance we will have to go through with that. If by chance that does happen, what exactly would we gain by rejecting God? If your life is being threatened by people based on you rejecting God, they would probably kill you after you reject God anyways. Those people do not have any honor. You cannot rely on them. You cannot trust them to keep their word. Anyone who would kill or threaten to kill someone because of their faith CANNOT be trusted. We do not renounce our faith under duress.

Matt 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NASB)

Back to our original thought with Daniel. King Darius signed the decree and made it law. Under the law of the Medes and Persians, once a law was signed, it was not to be revoked under any circumstance. This law was not a just law. It was not a godly law. It was not a good law by any stretch of the imagination. It was a law that clearly violated the commandments of God. What is Daniel to do? Did he whine and bicker about the law? Did he go out publicly rebelling against the government? What is revealed to us? We know exactly what he did!

Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.”  (NASB)

I submit to you that no matter our circumstances that we too, can do the same exact thing. We can “but, what if” our way all we want to. It will not and does not change the facts. We can serve God at ANY time. If we are constantly living in fear as if our faith will waiver on the whims of our government, then we need to stop listening to all the propaganda that causes us to have these thoughts and fears!

2 Tim 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  (KJV)

Take time to focus on God. Listen to God. Hear God through His word. Realize the blessings we have in God through Jesus Christ by having the means to have our sins forgiven and remembered no more!

Heb 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (KJV)

-Lee Elkins