GOD REWARDS COMMITMENTS AND CONSECRATIONS
11 SO DANIEL SAID TO THE STEWARD WHOM THE CHIEF OF THE EUNUCHS HAD SET OVER DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH,
12 “PLEASE TEST YOUR SERVANTS FOR TEN DAYS, AND LET THEM GIVE US VEGETABLES TO EAT AND WATER TO DRINK.
13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”
14 “SO HE CONSENTED WITH THEM IN THIS MATTER, AND TESTED THEM TEN DAYS.
15 AND AT THE END OF TEN DAYS THEIR FEATURES APPEARED BETTER AND FATTER IN FLESH THAN ALL THE YOUNG MEN WHO ATE THE PORTION OF THE KING'S DELICACIES.”
Daniel 1:11-15 (NKJV)
The steward whom the chief eunuchs delegated the assignment of overseeing the affairs of Daniel and His friends was apprehensive when Daniel requested that he should test them with vegetables and water only (Daniel 1:10-12).
Initially the steward was hesitant, but later consented because God’s hand of favour was upon Daniel: “NOW GOD HAD BROUGHT DANIEL INTO THE FAVOUR AND GOODWILL OF THE CHIEF OF THE EUNUCHS” (Daniel 1:9).
• If you walked in good relationship with God, you will enjoy and experience favour before men.
• You will also look better if you lived your life for God. God promises to bless our food and water If we serve Him (Exodus 23:25).
• He also promises not to afflict us with diseases of Egypt, and evil will be far away from us as we walk with Him in obedience (Exodus 15:26; 23:25,26).
If you chose and determined to stand for God, He would not let you down. Daniel and his friends purposed not to defile themselves and God rewarded them with unusual knowledge, and skill in all literature and wisdom! (Daniel 1:8,17)
• God gave Daniel and his friends understanding in all visions and dreams: “AS FOR THESE FOUR YOUNG MEN, GOD GAVE THEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN ALL LITERATURE AND WISDOM; AND DANIEL HAD UNDERSTANDING IN ALL VISIONS AND DREAMS" (Daniel 1:17).
• There was none among their colleagues who was like them: "THEN THE KING INTERVIEWED THEM, AND AMONG THEM ALL NONE WAS FOUND LIKE DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH; THEREFORE THEY SERVED BEFORE THE KING" (Daniel 1:19).
• They were ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in Babylon, in all the realm of king Nebuchadnezzar: "AND IN ALL MATTERS OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHICH THE KING EXAMINED THEM, HE FOUND THEM TEN TIMES BETTER THAN ALL THE MAGICIANS AND ASTROLOGERS WHO WERE IN ALL HIS REALM" (Daniel 1:20).
A number of things to note:
• Daniel and his friends excelled because they made God number one in their lives.
• Another important thing to learn from them is that they did not defile themselves.
They could have thrown caution to the wind, forget about their root as Jews, when they had the rear opportunity of serving in the king’s palace.
It was a rare privilege to serve in the presidential palace at that time, even today—becoming one of the king’s advisers.
If some believers have this privilege, they would automatically forget their root. They would forget where they were coming from—they would forget their foundation in God and would not want to remember that they are believers in Christ.
People with such attitude usually mess up big time, when they get to the top.
If you are called to serve in your country, to work with the president and other top government functionaries:
• Will you maintain your integrity and holiness as a believer?
•Will you not soil your garments?
• Will you maintain your stand for God without compromising your faith in the midst of corruptions and perversions of justice?
The truth of the matter is that you must possess a strong stand before you could be given such a privilege by God.
If your stand in God is not strong, you may not have any standard to set and maintain should you be given such a privilege.
• Do you have any standard in God at all?
• Are you a kind of believer or minister that anything goes—wherever you are pushed, you go?
• Are you a believer or minister who follows the multitude—someone who believes that the people’s voice or opinion is the voice of God?
• Are you a minister who is led or directed by money? What you will eat or what people will give to you matters to you than your good name and what God has instructed you to do?
• Do you go to a place to minister because of money? In other words, Are you being motivated or led by money—what you will get as benefits?
• Do you serve in the leadership position because of material rewards or benefits?
• Do you water down the Word of God because of money? (2 Timothy 4:2-5).
• Do you shy away from speaking and preaching the truth of God’s Word to the people, because they are giving you money and you would not want to offend them? (1 Timothy 6:5-12)
If you are guilty in any of the questions asked above, you should remember that you will give account of your stewardship before God one day—thus, repent and amend your way.
1 THE ELDERS WHO ARE AMONG YOU I EXHORT, I WHO AM A FELLOW ELDER AND A WITNESS OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, AND ALSO A PARTAKER OF THE GLORY THAT WILL BE REVEALED:
2 SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, NOT BY COMPULSION BUT WILLINGLY, A NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY;
3 NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, BUT BEING EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK;
4 AND WHEN THE CHIEF SHEPHERD APPEARS, YOU WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF GLORY THAT DOES NOT FADE AWAY.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 (NKJV)
The grace for continuity in the ministry leadership is integrity and living a consecrated life: “THUS DANIEL CONTINUED UNTIL THE FIRST YEAR OF KING CYRUS” (Daniel 1:21).
If you make yourself a vessel of gold, A vessel of honour in God’s hand, you will remain at the cutting edge all the days of your ministry life (2 Timothy 2:20,21).
Daniel continued with successive government because God’s hand was upon his life—he worked with a number of other kings in the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms (Daniel 1:21; 6:28).
You can only be relevant throughout your life time in the ministry work, through consecration—by living a sanctified life, that is, a separated life.
If you are in the ministry work and you are still living in sin, God will soon do away with you—He will be done with you, relief you of your post, and give your place to another person.
In fact, God may soon call you home!
Leaders who are not credible, who think they are clever, never last long in the ministry work—only credible ones do.
It is the integrity that will keep you at the top, not your charisma or giftedness.
It is my prayer that you will not die before your time and your place will not be given to another person in Jesus' name.
Peace!