Living for God in a Godless Society Part 1Sample

CHOOSING YOUR STAND

We want to stand firm for God’s truth. But how do we decide on a personal level when to stand for truth and when to sit down and pray and wait for God to change hearts? These are not easy questions, and they are never decided once and for all. As a teenager, Daniel resolved to take a stand over what he would take into his body. Later he made tough choices and resolved to tell the hard truth to powerful kings and to continue his spiritual discipline of openly praying even when he knew it could cost him his life.

Every time we stand for what is true, it helps us stand more easily the next time. Thankfully, as Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:12-13, we have God working in us to give us clear guidance about these decisions as we pray, read and obey His word, share with other believers, and trust and listen to Him. And Ephesians 6 tells us we have every weapon we need for these spiritual battles. There is comfort, too, in the very last verse of the book of Daniel. Daniel says in 12:13, “But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” Go your way day by day, trusting God to show you when to stand and to give you the courage to do that, and then rest in Him, knowing He’s already prepared that place for you to stand eternally in heaven.

Ask Yourself:

-Is there some way God is calling me to take a stand for Him now?

-How am I preparing myself to live with spiritual resolve?

-How can I be more conscious about daily putting on that full armor of God that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6?

Pause to Pray: Jesus, I resolve to live for You. I resolve to read your Word and learn your truth. Help me to prepare myself to hear your voice, and know the nudging of your Spirit so that I will be ready when opportunities to speak and to act come my way. Show me how to be a light of your hope, peace, and love in a world of darkness. Amen.

Take a Next Step: Reflect on all you learned from Daniel and his friends this week. How will you take a clear step toward living with spiritual resolve? Tell someone! Even better, invite someone to take this step with you!

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