WATCHWORD:
2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.” Colossians 2:2
18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.
27 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret.28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.
47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” Daniel 2:18, 27-28, 47.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
Meditation:
Your Faith Story
This devotional could be called “telling secrets” because the focus here is on how important it is for the Christian to share “their faith story”. We have a role to play in the revealing of “God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ”. Our witness reveals that “secret” to those that do not know, or simply do not believe what they know, or know what they believe.
We can track this telling of secrets that reveal God’s plan back to Daniel (2:18, 27-28, and 47), where Daniel, the captured slave, opens the truth to King Nebuchadnezzar, contained within the King’s dream. Daniel reveals the secret of the mysterious one True God to the King, sharing his faith in God.
The King’s reaction is immediate, he appoints Daniel to a high position and made him ruler over the province of Babylon. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the King’s court.
I would say that was another ‘take’ on the idea of sharing faith. But for King Nebuchadnezzar the sharing by Daniel, the explaining of the dream, was not enough for this arrogant King. He erected a gold statue of himself and decreed that all would worship it. And, of course, you know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace, and its effect on the King.
There is something to be said about “seeing is believing”. We can, and do, share our faith with others. We tell our stories, we talk, talk, talk about our relationship with our Lord. We gather devotionals, commentaries, participate in Bible study, take meals to shut-ins, pray, attend worship when we can, etc., etc. But what are we showing? What do people see in us? Do they see Jesus? Or, do they need to see people, walking from the fiery furnace, unscathed and un-singed, to convince them about Jesus?
Some of God’s people, don’t know they are God’s people. For some of those people it would take an emergency run in an ambulance to bring them face to face with their own mortality and a conversation with God.
Some of those people are in our own families, within the circle of our closest friends. These are people who have had a chance to observe us, and see how we act. Are they seeing a Christian in action? We can tell people our story, but…I feel a song coming on
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love
Ah, so what are they seeing? We might want to take a personal inventory. Or, if we are really brave, ask them! Amen?
Bulletin Board:
The voice of experience from Chuck – Yes, sympathy does turn to empathy once you are touched by grief.
Closing Prayer:
“Oh Lord, we thank Thee for the freshness with which life comes down upon us each day. May we live along with the sense of being ready for emergencies, and with all of the interest that this gives to life. Give us the spirit of those who constantly push on to new things. We thank Thee for the force in the universe that makes all things new, and we would keep ourselves in hearty accord with its impulses”. Amen.
–Edward Increase Bosworth
