"Tough times never last, only tough people do." Remember that from last week? We heard about Paul having many tough times in his life, and yet he could consider the suffering he was asked to endure as nothing compared to the glory that was waiting for him. . .but not just for him, us as well. One of the words mentioned last week was prayer. Today I want expand upon that word, because it is an important solution when the going gets tough.
Have you ever found yourself in a very impossible situation? It doesn't matter what you do about your situation..what ever decision you make..it always seems to be the wrong one. It a no win situation, or sometimes people call it a lose-lose situation. This morning we meet a man who finds himself in such a situation. His name is Daniel. You have heard of him I'm sure. This is the Daniel who found himself in a lion's den one day, facing a number of hungry lions, after he was set up by some jealous co-workers. You see, Daniel had been appointed as a supervisor over the governor of the land, which was no ordinary position indeed. This position was so important only the king could make such an appointment. Daniel, along with two others was appointed by the king himself.
He was good at his job, so good indeed, that the king considered putting him in charge of the whole empire. As happens so often when one begins to do well for himself, or herself, others become jealous. Daniel's co-supervisors became jealous, and tried to make life miserable for him. They were constantly dogging him, trying to find something wrong with the way he was doing his job. But they couldn’t catch him on anything. He was an honest man who was doing the best he could. There was nothing they could find to accuse Daniel of wrong.
Then they got an idea. They would set a trap for Daniel. So they went to the king, and began to flatter him. "King Darius, may your majesty live for ever! You are such a great king, that we would never want to see you be replaced by anyone. No one could ever live up to your greatness." Yeah, right! Can't you just see this fickle king beaming with pride! These guys weren't finished yet. Now that they had him softened up, they told the king that all the governors, and all the supervisors had agreed to ask the king to make a legal decree that no one was to ask any request from any god or man for thirty days, except from his majesty. Any one who violates the order should be thrown to the lions.
These people were schemers to the first degree. In order to get the full impact of this scheme, you need to know that the Babylonians had numerous gods. They believed that anything that could not be explained must be the work of some god. Just think, none of these important gods could be contacted, only the king could. Which meant that he must be even more important than all the gods of their religion. Not that it would do any good mind you, to contact these gods, or the king for that matter, for there is only one God in all of heaven or earth, but these people didn’t know that. So for thirty days King Darius would become the only god in the land. What an honour. It was a great scheme..one that this king certainly could not turn down. However, these supervisors didn’t tell the king that Daniel knew nothing about this scheme. The king was probably so flattered that he never thought to ask about Daniel. The trap was set, and the king didn’t catch on till later.
When Daniel found out about the decree, he was immediately caught in a no win situation. It had always been his practice to go up to his room three times a day to pray to God. But now he had to make a decision. If he stopped praying, he would be dishonouring the one and only God he loved so much. If he were to continue praying, and if he were caught, it would mean a certain death in the lion's den. What a dilemma. No matter what his decision would be, he could not win. He was in a los-lose situation.
Well, you know the rest of the story. Daniel did not give up his practice of praying to God, and he ended up in the lion's den, but God saved him, so in the end he was a winner. Indeed scripture characterizes Daniel as a man with unusual faith and courage...a man of prayer. Daniel craved fellowship with God, as proven by his loyalty and devotion to Him.
Daniel was a spokesman for God to a people in exile. For many years God's chosen people had refused to live according to the will of God, the result being loss of their own land, and captivity by the Babylonians. Daniel had no quarrel with that. He completely understood. During the time these people were living in disobedience God had sent many prophets to warn them. How often, through various prophets hadn't God offered them what I like to call the "if-but" principle.. "IF you will come back to me, listen to my rules for living, you will prosper. BUT if you continue to ignore my word and go your own way, you will be punished." The details of punishment were really quite specific, so its not that these people had not been warned. Daniel understood. He didn’t question the justice of God at all, but his heart bled because of the severity of God's punishment on his people. And so he prays, not out of habit..not out of custom, but because he must. He has no other choice. These people are his people. When they hurt he hurts; when they cry, he cries.
In chapter nine we hear Daniel praying for them. He begins his prayer, with a salutation, and giving praise to God, as all prayers should. Then he goes into a rather lengthy prayer of confession. I believe it is so lengthy because of the gravity of the people's sins. All of Judea, and all of Israel has sinned against God. Not just a few here and there, but all of them. God was no longer honoured by all people, including kings and beggars. Indeed the God of gods was replaced by more palatable false gods, gods who made no real demands on anyone. Serving the gods of wood. . .the idols that Jeremiah had once called nothing but sticks, was far more undemanding than serving the God of the Ten commandment. Why those old rules were out of touch with what the world was really like. What was wrong with getting all out of life one could. What was wrong with sexual pleasures with the temple prostitutes both men and women. What was wrong with the rich getting richer, and those poor people just getting poorer all the time. Yet, all the time God was watching them, like a concerned father watches his wayward child. And God's heart was broken. O yes it was. God’s heart was broken. Hosea the prophet once wrote, "The Lord said, When Israel was a child I loved him, and called him out of Egypt as my son. But the more I called him, the more he turned away from me. My people sacrificed to Baal, they burned incense to idols. Yet I was the one who taught Israel to walk. I took my people up in my arms, but they did not acknowledge that I took care of them. I drew them to me with affection and love. I picked them up and held them to my cheek. I bent down to them and fed them."
O how God loved his people, but they refused to listen to Him. They wanted their own way. But God is holy, and just, so this cannot happen. Then Daniel confessed the sins of the nation, because he loved his people too, and he asked for a blessing on them. He did this of his own free will. No one asked him to do it. But he saw their plight and was deeply stirred by their need. Losing their land was a terrible loss. In addition these Babylonians were a desperately cruel people. Daniel was rescued from the lion's den, but he could not be happy until his own people would be rescued from captivity. So he pleaded with God to hear him. "O God hear my prayer and pleading. Listen to us O God: look at us and see the suffering that we are in." Deeply moving, isn't it? And then he closed his prayer with "Lord hear us! Lord forgive us! Lord listen to us and act!. . .do not delay!
A lady visiting the Holy Land came upon a sheepfold located high on a hilltop. Her attention was drawn to one poor sheep lying by the side of the road bleating in pain. Looking more closely, she discovered that its leg was injured. She asked the shepherd how it happened. "I had to break it myself," he answered sadly. "It was the only way I could keep that wayward creature from straying into unsafe places. From past experience I have found that a sheep will follow me once I have nursed it back to health. Because of the loving relationship that will be established as I care for her, in the future she will come instantly at my beck and call."
The woman replied thoughtfully, "Sometimes we poor human sheep also want our stubborn ways and as a result stray into dangerous paths until the God comes to direct us away from danger. Then, moving into a sweeter and closer communion with our Saviour, we at last are conditioned to hear His voice and follow His leading."
God is an all loving God, yes He is. Yet, because God is God, he had every right to abandon his people because of their unfaithfulness, just as did the shepherd have the right to abandon the sheep. I know, these are hard words, but I believe them to be true. Instead though, what does God say? "How can I give you up Israel? How can I abandon you? Could I destroy you as (I have other nations)? My heart will not let me do it. My love for you is too strong. I will not punish you in my anger, I will not destroy Israel again. For I am God not man, I the Holy one am with you. I will not come to you in anger." (Hos.11:1-9). If he said those words to Israel of old, is there any reason why he won't say them to us today? O, he already has! He already has! He said it when he gave his own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross of calvary, so that we might live. If that isn’t love, I don’t what is.
To be sure, Daniel was a man of God. . .a man of prayer. Yet he felt the need to plead for forgiveness for his people. So he pleads with God, first of all to even listen, and then to forgive. Daniel knew that sorrow for sin is the first step toward forgiveness. God would hear his prayer, and forgive. God will hear your prayer, and forgive.
Daniel was in a no win situation, or a lose lose situation, so it seemed. But he had faith. He believed that God would act on his behalf. God did act, and put Daniel in a win-win situation.
We can have that too. Because of Daniel’s faith, and urgent prayer, God acted. He will do the same for you. And then you are truly in a win-win situation. Then you are saved. . .saved for evermore. To God be the glory AMEN.
