God Goes Before Us

                              God Goes Before Us

“In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.” Daniel 1:1

When the enemy thought he had the upper hand, God was showing off His Sovereignty. The plan of the enemy was to train Daniel and his friends in the Chaldean ways. The Chaldeans were a smart bunch, and they were highly educated and influential. And Daniel and his friends were very young, some say 15 years old, but they possessed something the Chaldeans didn’t have. They knew God.
 The Bible talks about how they were renamed to Chaldean names but even the renaming didn’t make them fit into their culture. As much as the enemy wanted them to take on this identity, they stood solid in the identity of the One True God. Yahweh.

“God gave this four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom.” Daniel 1:17

God went before them. Reading Kings I discovered that it was during King Jehoiakim that they were captured. The Lord was making a way for these young men to come into a culture that believed in all the many different gods and equip them to stand for Him alone. 
He does the same for us.

“In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and mediums in the entire kingdom.” Daniel 1:20

Why do you think this happened? Was it in his own strength that this resulted?

The Bible talks about how he determined that he would not defile himself. Determination is one of those tricky words. Because it is done on my part, but it is also understanding that God is the One who strengthens. And it is in every matter that I must seek His guidance. 

I have an opportunity every single day to come before the Lord. Knowing that He goes before me gives me permission to ask Him, “Lord what do you desire I seek today?” It doesn’t matter what the enemy of my mind wants me to do I can determine to set my mind on Christ. That is what Daniel did, and God pulled him from the fire. 

How has God pulled you from the fire? Thank Him.

Father,

The enemy wants to isolate us, and your eyes are always on us. You go before us to prepare us for the challenge. The enemy wants to captivate us in our thoughts, and you tell us to allow you to search us. You know our ways and you go before us. You prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. It is because you live within us. The presence of our enemies. From Genesis to Revelation the story remains the same. You are in control and Sovereign over our lives. Thank you, Jesus.

Amen