Daniel1:17-21-To these four men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hannah, Michael and Azariah;so they entered the kings service.In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all magicians and onchanters in his whole kingdom.And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Would you like to know how it will turn out?
I’ve been studying the scriptures for the past several months about taking a stand for God….It might be a stand that you need to take personally….Where there have been some sort of thought or behavior you’ve been involved in that has not been pleasing to God…and you know it’s time to take a stand on the matter…to take a step of growth in the area….Wouldn’t it be nice though to know how things would turn out if you you took that step.
For others it’s taking that stand publicly in some way…We might often blend in the world around us….And when we should have spoken up for what was right….we didn’t.
Or when you should have stood out…you didn’t. Or when you should have said…I can’t do that anymore or I can’t say that anymore…When the time came you didn’t take your stand.
Do you know that so much of the Bible is given to us in a narrative form.In other words, God has conveyed much of his truth through life stories…..so we can fly over a person’s entire life and see it start to end. Why so many stories?
Paul answers the question in 1Corinthians10-When he says, “Now these things happend to them as examples and they are written for our instructions.
He said in Romance15:4-For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.In other words, God gave us stories to help us see” how things would turn out.”For people who chose to obey God, look what happened to their lives…For the people who chose not to obey God look what happened to their lives.
Let’s look at a passage of scripture that shows us how things turned out.
We left a group of four teenage boys who had taken a stand for God.They had been deported from Jerusalem to Babylon by a wicked King named Nebuchanezzar. Nebuchanezzar changed their names, he enrolled them in Babylon schools, they were cut off from their Jewish heritage, and they were allowed to eat from the Kings table.
It was on that last point that these young men took their stand. These young men asked permission to not eat from the kings table but instead to eat vegetables and drink water.
Of course the reason they took a stand of this particular issue was because to do otherwise would have been a violation of God’s word.
Today were looking at three results of taking a stand for God.
1.Wisdom-Exodus31-3-And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, with Knowledge and with all kinds of skills.
Are you seeking to grow in your knowledge and understanding of the scriptures?
Do you value wisdom enough to take a stand for God?
2.Stature-The scripture tells us in Luke2:52- And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
One of the results of you taking a stand will be stature…you will stand out from the crowd and you will have special opportunities to bring glory to the Father.
3.Longevity-Psalm91:16-Tells us two more things God will do for us when we stand firm and call on Him first,God will satisfy also means to fill us with satisfaction. God doesn’t want to give us just a long miserable life, but a satisfied life.
1Corinthians16:13-Be alert stand firm in the faith act like men,be strong.
Brother and Sisters you should not be childlike, but instead use the knowledge and understanding of an adult so that you are not afraid of the people who try to corrupt or divide you.
Take your stand
God bless
Chrisendell Coller 