Read: Daniel 3:12-18"For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” - Psalm 30:5
I love the fact that, although God is righteous and just and keeps us accountable to His Word, He also gives us His mercy and grace every day of our lives. To honor Him and to thank Him for all of the blessings He showers on me, I want to stand up without compromise for Jesus. I do not want to bow to modern expectations or to give up my traditional values, or to make excuses for sin as if it does not exist. I want to remain true to our living God.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon erected a huge statue of himself made of gold. Then he ordered everyone to worship it, whenever the palace orchestra played. Everyone bowed down, except three young Hebrew men who continued to stand up. You probably know the rest of the story. This trio chose to worship only the one, true and living God; so the King tried to reduce them to ashes. Sure, they could have rationalized their behavior and joined the crowd; but instead, they chose to stand up against the crowd, which made them stand out for God.
I want to stand up and stand out for God in my daily walk too. I want to remain true to His Word and His calling in my life - no matter what the circumstances, or who I am with, or what is expected of me by my family, friends, neighbors and associates.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to realize that our preoccupation with worldly pleasures, popularity, monetary gain and our hesitation to live up to Godly values is actually sinful behavior. Continue to draw us to Your heart each day; and shower us with Your grace, as we attempt to walk in Your truth. Thought For The Day:
Take a stand and live a God-honoring life, which is void of compromise.
