The God We Serve …!
Daniel 3:26-30
One of the ways by which we experience divine fulfillment is through serving God. God told Pharaoh to let His people go so they could serve Him (Ex.8:1, 9:1). We are saved from the bondage of sin to serve God. Also, our Savior Jesus came into the world with a mission to serve (Matt.20:28). Christians follow His example.
In order for our service to please God, we must serve by faith in God’s Word, which sets the standards for our service, not by our personal feelings (Heb.11:6). That was how Daniel and his friends served God while in exile in Babylon.
1. We serve God in our body. Because our body is God’s temple (1Cor.6:19), we always need to present our body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom.12:1). So Daniel and his friends purposed in their hearts that they would not defile their bodies with the king’s food and wine. We also serve God by purposing in our hearts not to defile our bodies by what we eat, drink, watch, listen to, speak, touch, or engage ourselves in.
2. We serve God through prayer. Prayer is seeking God’s help and solutions for any situation we face on earth. When Daniel and his friends faced the impossible task of telling the king his dream and its interpretation, they committed it to God in prayer, and He answered them (Dan.2:17-19). Their example, and that of Anna who served God with fastings and prayers day and night (Luke 2:37), should motivate us to serve God through the prayer of faith for ourselves, spouses and children, friends and family, our church, leaders, and any difficulties we encounter.
3. We serve God through worship. When God answered their prayer, Daniel worshipped God (Dan.2:20-23). As we focus on God, we can worship Him for who He is and what He does for us (Ps.103:1-5).
As we serve God in our bodies, in prayer, and in worship, we will be tested. These tests are not to destroy us, but to bring us testimonies when we overcome.
1. Though they were tempted to eat the king’s food, they refused at a great risk, but within 10 days, they looked better than those who did (Dan.1:15, 18-20). The God we serve will always show us the way out of every temptation to defile our bodies (1Cor.10:13), and bring us out victorious.
2. Their prayer life was attacked, but Daniel did not allow the threat stop him from praying (Dan.6:5,10). Though he was thrown into a lion’s den, God delivered him (Dan.6:20-21). The God we serve through prayer, will deliver us from every demonic and satanic attack.
3. They were commanded to worship a golden image, but they refused and rather chose to obey God’s command not to worship any idol (Ex.20:3-5). As a punishment, they were thrown into fire, but God delivered them, in fulfillment of Isaiah 43:2. The fire could not burn them. When they came out the king promoted them (Dan.3:30). The God we serve will deliver us from every fire, and what our enemies planned to use to destroy us, He will turn it into our promotion.
Though COVID-19 has disrupted our lives, we should not allow it, or any other problem, threat, or attack we face, to disrupt our service to God. As we faithfully serve God through yielding our bodies to Him, prayer and worship, the God we serve will perform a miracle of healing, deliverance, provision, protection, and promotion. The God we serve will not disappoint us, He will richly reward our dedicated service. We will celebrate our miracles!