In light of recent events, I confess I have struggled with a bit of anxiety as I pondered what the future may hold. All the thoughts going through my mind have led me to seek counsel in the one place I know I will find the help I need… the Word of God. I felt like Daniel would be a really good place to park my studies as long as necessary in light of the state of the world around me. I have begun studying Daniel and therefore, you will likely hear me talking about what I am learning from it from time to time in the days ahead, my friend.
I believe Daniel has a lot to teach the believer living in uncertain times and I personally believe that is where we now find ourselves now, my friend. A close look at the first chapter of Daniel reveals that God had judged Judah and as a result, He allowed them to be taken captive by an ungodly ruler named Nebuchadnezzar. (A careful study of the Old Testament will show that this pattern was repeated quite often. God warned His people against their sin, gave them time to repent, but when they did not, He sent a wicked ruler to take them captive.)
Daniel and three of his friends were among the captives that were chosen to be taken back to Babylon to be taught the Babylonian ways and eventually be used by the king. What this meant was that they were taken into enemy territory, taught the enemy’s customs, and were forced to learn about the false gods the enemy worshipped. They were brought there to learn to become one of the people who had taken them captive. However, as we will see, Daniel and his friends learned how to live in this world but not be of this world, and there is much we can learn from their example.
Daniel and his three friends had been taken captive by the enemy and were brought to Babylon to learn how to become a Babylonian. I can only imagine how they felt as they left their homeland, knowing they would likely never see it again. Then, to be brought to a foreign land and realize they want to change everything about you, had to be another hard pill to swallow. We are going to see that a lot of things changed for Daniel and his friends, but we are also going to see some courageous young men who determined to still honor the one true God they served.
Most people dive right into the famous story about Daniel and his friend’s diet choices when studying the first part of Daniel but there is something very important I think we need to talk about first, my friend. Daniel 1:7 tells us that Daniel and his friends were given new names when they arrived for their three-year training in Babylon. The first thing they did was give them a new name, and not just any name. They were each given new names that related in some way to the false gods the Babylonians worshipped.
Each one of these young men had a Hebrew name that honored the God they served and now they were being given a new name that honored a false, demonic god of the Babylonians. The first thing the enemy did was try to make them forget their identity. The enemy tried to make them forget who they were and Who they belonged to. When you enter enemy territory, the first thing he wants to do is make you forget who you are and who you belong to. This is still the way the enemy operates! He does everything he can to make us forget who we are and who we belong to!
The enemy wants us to forget who we are and who we belong to so that he can make us feel weak and helpless. He wants us to forget who we are so that we will allow ourselves to be absorbed into his way of doing things. My friend, I believe that in the days ahead, we are going to, like Daniel and his friends, face the choice of whether we will stand on the principles of God or we will become one with the world around us. We are going to face the temptation to just join in what is going on in the world around us. We are going to be told to just do what everyone else is doing.
I believe that before long, we are going to have to decide if we are going to stand for Christ or if we are going to learn the ways of the world around us. The enemy is going to do his absolute best to make you forget who you are and who you belong to, my friend. You are going to have to determine in your heart, before that moment gets here, that you are going to cling to truth and honor the One whose name you bear. In order to do this, you have to actually know who you are my friend, and you have to know the One you serve. You cannot stand strong unless you are standing on Him!
In order to know who you are, in order to know the Lord, you need to know His Word. Now, more than ever, my friend, I believe it is critically important to be in His Word. We need to be in His Word like never before. You cannot stand on the Word if you do not know it. You cannot walk in your true identity if you don’t know what it is. My friend, the first thing the enemy did to Daniel and his friends was change their identity. And your enemy will try to do the same thing to you, dear heart. He will do everything in his power to keep you from understanding who you are.
The enemy doesn’t want you to know who you are because when you know who you are in Christ, you walk in freedom, you walk in victory. When a person doesn’t know who they are, they have no idea what they are capable of. My friend, do not let this be said of you. I beg of you to start studying the Word of God. Know who you are in Christ, my beloved. Maybe you think I’m a little crazy, but I believe that things are changing, and it is so important that we make His Word a priority like never before. I believe we need to know who we are so that we can stand strong.
The enemy changed the names of Daniel and his friends to make them forget the God they served, but as we shall see, it didn’t work; they stood true to the God they served. How did they do it? I believe one of the reasons was that they had hidden God’s Word in their heart so that they wouldn’t sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). It’s highly unlikely that the enemy let them take their “Bibles” with them, so they would have had to base their lives on the Scriptures they had stored up and treasured in their hearts. Ouch! How well would I do at that if my Bible were taken from me right now?!
These boys had hidden God’s Word in their hearts and even in a foreign land ruled by the enemy, they honored the God of the Word. My friend, I feel a fire burning in my heart as I consider the integrity and courage of these young men! What an inspiration they are to those of us who may soon face more challenges to our faith. O God give me their courage, their faith, and their determination to honor you! Forgive me for the time I have wasted not hiding more of Your Word in my heart! Help me to be faithful to study Your Word; write it upon my heart and help me to obey it, Lord!
My friend, I do not know what the future holds but I can have peace because I know the One who holds my future. I only know that I feel a renewed sense of urgency to study and know His Word. I know that I want to better understand who I am in Him. If the enemy wants us to forget who we are then it must be important for us to remember who we are. My friend, will you join me in determining to spend more time in His Word and spend more time learning who we are in Him? May we like Daniel determine in our hearts to honor God no matter what comes our way!
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Katrina Douglas
1/8/21
