Daniel 6 How To Have Courage When Thrown to the Lions

Daniel 6 Dare To Be A Daniel

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." 13 Then they answered and said before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!" 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" 21 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

for he is the living God,

enduring forever;

his kingdom shall never be destroyed,

and his dominion shall be to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;

he works signs and wonders

in heaven and on earth,

he who has saved Daniel

from the power of the lions."

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Psalm 27 Dare To Be A Daniel, Dare to Be A David

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

²When the wicked advance against me to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

³Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

⁴One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

⁵For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

⁶Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.

⁹Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.

¹⁰Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

¹¹Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

¹²Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

¹³I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Sermon Daniel 6

https://youtu.be/FAyJbkVE_eI

Join us for Bible study Tuesday night at 7:30 as we discuss together the Kingdom of God.

Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476

Why do you think this story connects so much with the hearts and imaginations of those who hear or read it? Why do you think it is so hard for some to believe?

What can we learn from Daniel about how to live faithfully in the midst of a culture that does not honour God?

What characteristics make Daniel stand out and allow him to ascend to high leadership positions in the kingdom?

Why should Christians who are serving God faithfully expect opposition? How does Daniel handle this opposition?

List three things you have learned about prayer from Daniel 6.

Assuming you'll never be thrown into a den of hungry lions, what lions might you face in your life as a Christian?

CTW https://youtu.be/gNbAJBBeOEQ

Daniel 6. The Problem Of Pressure

Over this last week we have people pushing the Ezekiel Declaration, A Declaration demanding that Scott Morrison our Prime Minister acknowledge that the covid responses of State Government are;

a. misinformed, as covid is not a serious problem.

b. that vaccines have not been adequately tested and should not be trusted.

c. that covid restrictions are a malicious attempt by government to close churches and remove Christianity from the Australian continent.

As you can see, the perpetrators "bought-in" on the current covid conspiracy theories. They developed people's Christian's fears. Some of those fears are linked to the possibility of persecution against Christians. The Lord Jesus promised that "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted." (2 Tim 3:14). In which case, these folk have little to be worried about. They exhibited this by not having a confident faith in God in all circumstances.

Whether there is a conspiracy theory, or there is a real conspiracy, Daniel describes for you and I how we are to react to such conspiracies and conspiracy theories.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Gene Getz writes "Unfortunately, Daniel is often pictured as a young man in this scene. In actuality, he was at least eighty-three years old—some believe older. During the Babylonian captivity, he had served three major kings—Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and now Darius—who served under Cyrus, king of Persia. In secular history, this Darius was probably a man named Gubaru. The honorific title "Darius" means "owner of the scepter" and was used to identify at least five Persian rulers. It also seems that King Darius mentioned in Daniel, chapter 6, was not "Darius the Mede" mentioned in chapter 5—who died three weeks after he captured Babylon. Cyrus, king of all Persia, had appointed Gubaru (another Darius) to serve as king over the general area that comprised the former Babylonian empire.¹

The new king wasted no time rearranging the political system in Babylon and establishing a new government. In fact, Darius was reputed to have been an administrative genius. He selected and appointed "120 satraps," or governors, to rule throughout the kingdom (6:1). The term satrap actually means "a kingdom protector."

To guarantee adequate accountability, Darius appointed "three administrators" over these 120 governors. It was their responsibility to make sure all of these men carried out their tasks in an efficient and honest manner, avoiding both waste and graft (6:2). The new government was highly centralized in terms of supervision and quite decentralized in terms of function—a reflection of the king's brilliant organizational ability.

From a human point of view, it's surprising that Daniel was appointed as one of these three administrators. First, he was at least eighty-three years old—an age when most leaders have retired from this kind of responsibility. This appointment indicates that Daniel was still in great health physically and mentally. From a divine perspective, it's easy to answer this question. God was sovereignly superintending Daniel's life. Like Esther, who became queen in a foreign land, Daniel too had "come to royal position for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).

Furthermore, Cyrus, the king of Persia, favoured the Israelites. It was during the first year of his reign that he encouraged the Jews to return to Jerusalem, promising his personal help to rebuild the temple. He also ordered that all "fifty-four hundred articles of gold and silver" that Nebuchadnezzar had brought to Babylon be returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–11). This also explains why Darius who reported directly to Cyrus—would not hesitate to place a Jew in this high position.

Darius, too, was an astute leader in his own right. He certainly conducted a background check on all of these new leaders—particularly on the men who were to be his three key administrators. It wouldn't take long to discover Daniel's credentials. He had served in high positions in the Babylonian government since he was seventeen years old. His reputation as a man of wisdom was outstanding, and his character was impeccable. Though he was a foreigner, he had demonstrated incredible loyalty to his superiors and had performed his tasks admirably.

Remember too that Darius would have quickly learned what had happened at Belshazzar's feast. When all of the wise men of Babylon could not read and interpret the handwriting on the palace wall, Daniel could. And let's not forget that before Belshazzar was taken captive and executed, he had appointed Daniel as "the third highest ruler in the kingdom" (5:29). This in itself would motivate Darius to explore Daniel's background. And when he did, he discovered a man he could trust.

4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

The Babylonian presidents and princes were jubilant. Their leader held a document which would mean the realization of all their dreams. The upstart Daniel would soon be in his place! They were convinced of three things: (i) The king would not break his word. He had signed the decree which could mean the death of Daniel. (ii) Daniel would never betray his faith. Not even the threat of martyrdom would change his daily routine of worship. (iii) Their plan was flawless. The Hebrew would soon be thrown to the lions; their path to preeminence would no longer be blocked by a foreigner. Poor Daniel!

But look! "Now when Daniel knew that the decree was signed, he went into his house . . . and prayed."

His windows were not open merely to permit the entry of fresh air! Beyond the distant horizons lay the city of his fathers, the city of his God. Faith burned as a light within his soul. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was his God; the old city was his real home, and some day his faith would be vindicated.

". . . he went into his house . . . and kneeled upon his knees." he knelt when he came before God.

Daniel was at the end region of his life. He probably was even sick of retirement! He was about 85 years old. Daniel 9 tells us he was looking for God keeping his promise that his people would be allowed to return home to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon. And that time was drawing near. We learn from Daniel 9 that Daniel opened the Bible and then opened his windows towards Jerusalem. He wasn't much concerned about another King's threats. He had seen so many kings come and go. It wasn't much different to another episode of "Days of Our Lives." Same story repeated over and over again. A King thinks he is much then discovers God's Kingdom rules over all. And Daniel knew it wasn't about Daniel. He knew it was more like that worship song of 20 years ago "Take me back to the heart of worship; it's all about you God it's all about you.. we have made it something its not meant to be but it's all about you God it's all about you!" History is all about God's Kingdom. God rules over all. He exalts one King and puts down another. And Daniel had seen that done in a day!! Many times!! So the best thing Daniel can do is pray. With windows open towards Jerusalem! Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud. And He shall hear my voice!"

He would have remembered God's promise to Solomon at the opening of the Temple in Jerusalem 500 years before:

2 Chronicles 7: 12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.' 19 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them,20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 "And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and this house?'22 Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.' "

That's why he had his windows open towards Jerusalem!

He was repenting. Do you know he had 85 years of baggage there. He had a lot to repent of. I am still repenting of the same sins I had when I was first converted in 1975! This pandemic is well designed to have you at home so you can see your sins and repent of them! God is gracious to bring you back to Himself.

Are you someone who has knelt before God? Do you want His will whatever that be? Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thy will not mine!

1 THY way, not mine, O Lord, However dark it be!
Lead me by thine own hand, Choose out the path for me.
Smooth let it be or rough, It will be still the best,
Winding or straight, it leads Right onward to thy rest.

2 I dare not choose my lot; I would not, if I might:
Choose thou for me, my God, So shall I walk aright.
The kingdom that I seek Is thine; so let the way
That leads to it be thine, Else I must surely stray.

3 Take thou my cup, and it With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to thee may seem; Choose thou my good and ill.
Not mine, not mine the choice, In things or great or small;
Be thou my guide, my strength, My wisdom, and my all.

Fear of Circumstances (vv.1–6) Daniel did not close his eyes to the circumstances around him; rather, he looked by faith to the Lord. He had learnt 70 years before that the Lord was everything he needed just as He is everything we need today. He is our light, so we need not fear because of darkness; He is our strength (or stronghold; see 18:2; 31:3–2), so we need not fear because of our weakness; and He is our salvation, so the victory is sure.

Daniel knew that he was in trouble right from the moment his enemies tried to trap him. They knew the only trap they could get him on was about worshipping God alone.

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.

Years ago I took an interest in yachts. No I have never owned one. Lorelle would never allow me to own a yacht given an unfortunate accident where a yacht almost took my foot off. I had 12 years of pain after that accident in 2000. But the interesting thing about a yacht is that the most important part of a yacht is not immediately seen to the eye. It is the bit below the waterline that keeps a yacht upright in storms and waves and strong winds. The keel is a very heavy piece (usually of lead) that holds the ship upright.

What is below the sea-level is the most important thing about the yacht. What is unseen is that which is most important in keeping you stable during a storm.

Fear can grip us. It gripped Daniel. Foes made him fear, his courage failed when he found himself an older man threatened with envious people who conspired his death. I think knowing someone wants you killed has a terrible effect on people's lives. It is like the aboriginal "pointing of the bone." The psychological effect is anxiety that brings someone near to death. But Daniel had developed a thicker skin than that. He trusted God!

How To Cultivate a Keel in Stormy Times
1. CULTIVATE CONFIDENCE
THE LORD IS my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident." David wrote in Psalm 27. Daniel knew those words. They would have been precious to him.

David cultivated Confidence in the Lord. He discovered the Lord as his light. This is a rare term in the Bible. When used of the Lord it primarily speaks of enlightenment in knowing the Lord who gives light. John 8:12. Jesus said "I am the light of the world whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life!"
And consequently He is your stronghold. Romans 8:32 37-39 reminds us that if the Lord has looked after the eternal issues for us He will surely look after the rest. If He didn't spare His own Son to save you, He cares enough to bring you all the way home.

The secret of Daniel's public confidence was his private trust in the Lord: he took time to fellowship with the Lord and get directions from Him. Daniel knew that the most important part of his life was the part that only God could see. The time that he spent waiting on God, reflecting on God was the real keel to bring stability to his life. He prayed towards Jerusalem not to be defiant to the king Darius, but because he always had and he wasn't stopping now. His enemies knew just as he knew that his relationship with the Lord was most important. That's why his windows opened towards Jerusalem. He was looking forward to that promised day when God would send His people home. (Psalm 137). By the rivers of Babylon there we wept when we remembered Zion..

Daniel was living in the wilderness of Judea, away from the sanctuary of the Lord, but he was still able to enter into fellowship with God. Daniel took time to meditate and to contemplate the wonders of God's grace. He came away from his times of worship feeling the rock under his feet and seeing above and beyond the enemy to the victory God had prepared. He knew when he returned to Jerusalem, he would bring thank offerings to Him and joyfully worship Him.

2. CULTIVATE CONSECRATION
One thing. What is the one thing that counts in your life? What is the main concern of your Life?
David Wrote in Psalm 27:4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. .. 8. You have said, "SEEK MY FACE." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek."

Are you growing to know the Lord intimately? My quiet time is so important for my life that I need to read God's Word at the start of each day, so I seek His face.
Isa 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed onThee because he trusteth in Thee."

Daniel opened his Bible before he opened his window.

We find later in Daniel 9 that Daniel prayed prayers of the Old Testament scriptures. We may never be sure whether Daniel was taught by the elders, or whether he discovered truth for himself. When the Hebrews were carried into captivity, they either took the sacred writings in their luggage or the message in their hearts, for long afterward in the city of Babylon, they were able to recall the words from I Kings 8:45-49. "Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause . . . if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent . . . and pray unto Thee toward their land . . . Then hear thou their prayer. . . ." Long and often Daniel looked at the immortal statement, and then with calm deliberation rose to open his windows. His actions were magnificently eloquent.

" Yet if they ... repent and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them away captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul in the land of their enemies ... and pray toward their land . . . then hear thou their prayer . . . ... Through the window in Babylon Daniel looked toward Jerusalem; through that same window we may look into Daniel's soul.

Probably Daniel, having read the ancient account, proceeded to emulate Solomon's example, for it is written, ". . . and when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose . . . from kneeling on his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven." His soul yearned for the blessing which only God could give; but conscious of his unworthiness, the saint knew how to express the deep desires of his heart.

Daniel Opened His Windows. He prayed! He Praised the True God! Nothing was going to stop him worshipping God each day. How about you? Do you have a regular daily quiet time where you read God's Word and pray? Where you seek God's face! Where you seek Him with all your heart?

3. CULTIVATE CONTEMPLATION

The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!" 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

The king knew immediately he had made a stupid decision, and he tried to correct it. We read that "he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him" (6:14). No doubt he tried to negotiate with his other two administrators, but to no avail. They only rallied more support and went as a group, reminding the king "that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict the king issues can be changed" (6:15).

Darius definitely had his back against the wall. For one thing, what would happen when Cyrus, the king of all Persia, got word of what his subordinate king had done? After all, Cyrus had already befriended the Jews by encouraging them to return to Jerusalem. He had even issued a proclamation honoring "the Lord, the God of heaven" and made it clear that Israel's God had "appointed" him to rebuild a temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–11).

And, if Darius changed his decree, he would be putting himself in a position of taking the law into his own hands. He had made a serious mistake in threatening the life of a prominent Jew whom he had made ruler of all of the former Babylonian empire, but he was now trying to change the rules—something that was never done throughout the Medo-Persian empire.

And one more thing: What would Cyrus think when he discovered that this whole issue revolved around a decree that honored Darius—a decree he had made placing himself even above any god? Indeed, Darius faced a serious dilemma. Not only did he face the prospect of horrible public humiliation, but he could also be deposed, if not beheaded! He, too, was a man under authority. -Gene Getz.

I think King Darius was more worried about his own skin than Daniel's. The King didn't sleep and wouldn't eat. The lions didn't sleep or eat. Charles Spurgeon observed that it was a good thing the lions didn't try to eat Daniel. They wouldn't have enjoyed him, since he was half grit and the other half backbone! They didn't like the Daniel Diet!

I wonder what Daniel was doing that night in the Lion's Den? Maybe as some paintings depict, he was curled up with his head on the soft fur of a lion. Or maybe, as he had done so often, he was praying. Not praying about whether he was going to be a Daniel Diet sandwich for a lion… He was probably praying "Lord we are here for our sins! You sent your angel to protect me to keep me alive. Maybe you want me to see the day our people will return to Jerusalem as you promised! Then Lord I better get to repenting! For myself and my people!"

Will you pray in this pandemic for repentance? Not for our government or our nation to repent. But for God's people to repent! To draw near to God! That is way more important than anything else!

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

This was what it was about. Do you trust in God?

Developing a Keel that survives storms means developing your communion with God. It also means depending upon God for your future deliverance and direction.

In this hurry-up world, waiting for anything can cause us to lose our temper, our good sense, and our tongues more frequently than we care to admit. I don't know anyone who enjoys waiting in a line. We don't like waiting at stoplights. We don't like waiting in a restaurant. We don't like waiting for dinner. We don't even like waiting for good things—like for fish to bite. We want what we want now.

Faith is waiting for God's directions.

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Does Omnipotence not have the power to change our circumstances? God has never been late (or early), and He certainly has the power to change our circumstances. That's not the problem. The problem is waiting when we want to move forward.

Why is it so hard to wait?

It is always wise to trust in God.

First, it is wise to wait because God gives clear direction only when we are willing to wait.

God says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye" (Ps. 32:8).

Second, it is wise to wait because God uses that waiting time to get us in step with His timing. When I run ahead of Him, I have no sense of calm. Instead of peace, I will constantly be trying to figure out how to make my decision work.

Third, it is always wise to wait because God uses the time of waiting to prepare us for the answer.

Fourth, it is always wise to wait because waiting strengthens our faith. We might want to say, "Okay, God. I've learned as much faith as I care to. You can act now." But when we realize that God is more interested in our character than in our comfort, waiting is a lot more palatable.

Fifth, it is always wise to wait because God gets our attention and sifts our motives. While waiting and praying for the promotion at work, we have time to think through our motives. Why do we really want that promotion? Do we want it to get more money or so others will think we are powerful? Could it be we want the promotion so we have a greater platform to serve the Lord? If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will surface—good or bad. It is amazing what we learn about ourselves through this waiting period.

So it is wise to wait because: God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

We do it actively. We wait where we are, doing what God says to do, until God intervenes or tells us to do something different. It is probably not a good idea to quit your job until God has led you to another one. Most of the time He is not going to say, "Do nothing and shut down your life until further notice."

Not only do we wait actively, but we wait patiently: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Ps. 37:7). We must be willing to endure until He works. We all know this is much easier said than done. But waiting patiently will be easier when we're resting in Him.

We wait actively, patiently, and silently. One of my favorite verses is, "My soul silently waits for God" (Ps. 62:1). Remember Saul's amazing conversion on the Damascus Road? Wouldn't the natural tendency be for him to want to get to Jerusalem and the city square as fast as he could and give his dynamic testimony? After all, he had quite a reputation for having earlier persecuted the churches. Instead of going to Jerusalem, Paul went to the Arabian desert. He was alone with God.

We wait actively, patiently, silently, and expectantly. This is a period of time in which we sharpen our discernment and learn to look for evidence of God's working. We live in anticipation of what God is going to do.

We wait courageously because we are standing on the Word of God: "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope"" (Ps. 130:5). When I say we wait courageously, I don't mean the absence of fear. We have a calmness and stability in the midst of fear, an inner sense of leaning on the arms of a perfect heavenly Father. Romans 8:28–29

C. H. SPURGEON My case is urgent, and I do not see how I am to be delivered; but this is no business of mine. He who makes the promise will find ways and means of keeping it. It is mine to obey His command; it is not mine to direct His counsels. I am His servant, not His solicitor. I call upon Him, and He will deliver.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (Lam. 3:25).

The promise in Isaiah 40:29–31 can be claimed.

He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

when we wait and trust , we win battles: "The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness" (Ps. 147:11 NASB).

when we wait and trust, we receive answers to our prayers: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry" (Ps. 40:1).

when we wait and trust, we see God working in our behalf.

The Pilot's Face

Robert Louis Stevenson once told of a fearful storm at sea when a vessel seemed in imminent danger of sinking. As the waves repeatedly broke over the decks, the passengers were very frightened; but one of them, disobeying orders, went on deck, to see the pilot lashed to the wheel. Calmly the man was getting on with his task, and suddenly seeing the terror-stricken passenger, the pilot gave him a reassuring smile. Instantly a change came over the fearful traveller, and when he rejoined the others below deck, he said, "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."

Daniel was in great danger, yet he smiled. He had seen the face of God; he knew all would be well.

Thy way, not mine, O Lord Author: Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it be;
Lead me by Thine own hand,
Choose out the Path for me.
Thy way-Thy chosen way,
However rough it be;
'Tis Thee I seek to please,
Gladly with Thee agree.

Refrain
Hold Thou my hand, Lord Jesus,
Thou knowest my weak frame
Knowing not how to go on,
I can but sigh in shame.
If Thou wouldst hold my hand, Lord,
Whatever be Thy choice,
Any time, any way, Lord,
Sweetly I will rejoice.

Smooth let it be, or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight it leads
Right onward to Thy rest.
I dare not choose my lot;
I would not if I might:
Choose Thou for me, my God,
So shall I walk aright.

My time is in Thy hand,
Let it be soon or late;
Plan it to Thy delight,
I would not choose the date.
If I should need to wait
Many a day or year,
I want no changes made,
Nothing the way to clear.

Take Thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to Thee may seem;
Choose Thou my good and ill.
All suff'rings shall be sweet,
If Thy wish they fulfill;
All pleasures shall be dull,
If they are not Thy will.

Choose Thou for me my friends,
My sickness or my health.
Choose Thou my cares for me,
My poverty or wealth.
Not mine, not mine the choice,
In things both great and small;
Be Thou my guide, my strength,
My wisdom and my all.

New Guinea is one of the most rugged countries in the world. High mountain ranges, intense tropical storms, and in places heavy seas crashing on sunken reefs, are sufficient to bring fear to the hearts of all travellers. Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary, on his way to China in 1853. "We were in dangerous proximity to the north of New Guinea. Saturday night had brought us to a point some thirty miles off the land, and during the Sunday morning service, which was held on deck, I could not fail to see that the captain looked troubled and frequently went over to the side of the ship. When the service was ended I learned from him the cause. A four-knot current was carrying us toward some sunken reefs, and we were already so near that it seemed improbable that we could get through the afternoon in safety. After dinner, the longboat was put out and all hands endeavored, without success, to turn the ship's head from the shore. After standing together on the deck for some time in silence, the captain said to me, 'Well, we have done everything that can be done. We can only await the result.' A thought occurred to me, and I replied, 'No, there is one thing we have not done yet.' 'What is that?' he queried. ' Four of us on board are Christians. Let us each retire to his own cabin, and in agreed prayer ask the Lord to give us immediately a breeze. He can as easily send it now as at sunset.' The captain complied with this proposal . . . I had a good but brief season in prayer, and then felt so satisfied that our request was granted that I could not continue asking, and very soon went up again on deck. The first officer, a godless man, was in charge. I went over and asked him to let down the corners of the mainsail. . . . 'What would be the good of that? ' he asked roughly. I told him we had been asking a Wind from God, and that it was coming immediately; and we were so near the reef by this time that there was not a minute to lose. With an oath and a look of contempt, he said he would rather see a wind than hear of it. But while he was speaking I watched his eye, following it up to the royal; and there, sure enough, the corner of the topmost sail was beginning to tremble in the breeze. 'Don't you see the wind is coming? Look at the royal,' I exclaimed. 'No, it's only a cat's paw (a mere puff of wind). 'Cat's paw or not,' I cried, 'please let down the mainsail and give us the benefit.' This he was not slow to do. In another minute the heavy tread of the men on deck brought up the captain from his cabin to see what was the matter. The breeze had indeed come. In a few minutes we were ploughing our way at six or seven knots an hour through the water ... and though the wind was sometimes unsteady, we did not altogether lose it until after passing the Pelew Islands. . . . Thus God encouraged me before landing on China's shores to bring every variety of need to Him in prayer, and to expect that He would honor the name of the Lord Jesus and give the help each emergency required."

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The Heidelberg Catechism - The Foundations Of Our Faith