Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 - Week 3

How doing something that feels counter intuitive helps us stay strong by being like our Father God | Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 | Book of Daniel

Photo by Joseph Sharp on Unsplash

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

Keep Calm and Love…Who?

Welcome back, dear readers! Thank you for visiting again.

Here we are at Week 3, and Daniel chapter 3 and chapter 4. So, I’ve been thinking about “loving your enemies”. Why? It’s what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did while in exile, and what we observed in chapters 1 and 2. The four men consistently respected, even felt compassion toward, their enemies while standing strong in the hostile world of pagan Babylonia. Loving one’s enemies is a directive that I struggle with, and these four men are my mentors right now.

Love your enemies.
~Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God

Before we look at Jesus’ words, let’s pause for a quick moment.

Who is your enemy? Or, your “frenemy”? [Urban Dictionary] Keep that person (or people) in your thoughts for a moment.

Now, feel the emotions you’ve felt about them.

Ready?

Luke 6:27 (ESV)
²⁷ “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,

• Who hates you, or dislikes you? (Name them in your mind.)

• What good things can you do for them? (It’s okay to write just one good thing.)

Luke 6:35 (NET)
³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people.

Yes, God is kind to our enemies, for He’s not willing that any should perish in their sins (2 Peter 3:9). Father God wants us to see these enemies with His eyes, with His heart toward them.

Matthew 5:43-48 (NET)
⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁷ And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁸ So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Who do I consider my enemies? Mostly people “in leadership” in the global arena who seem to play with humans’ lives as if we’re only pieces on their chess boards. Frankly, when I think of them, I want God’s kingdom to have already come and have been established “yesterday” so God can rid us of these leaders forever, and put an end to their evil deeds against their fellow humans. Especially their evil deeds against children.

But, that hasn’t happened, yet, and our loving Abba wants us to pray for them. As His image bearers and redeemed children through Jesus’ victory over sin and death, Abba wants us to be like Him in all things, guided by His wonderful Holy Spirit in us. He reminds us to pray for our enemies’ salvation, for that’s His heart. It’s what He wants for all humanity. He wants us to have a pure heart and do good to our enemies, in hopes that our prayers and our loving witness will soften their hearts and lead to their salvation.

If we want to stand strong in a hostile world, we must cultivate in ourselves a loving heart toward our enemies. Anger, bitterness, and hatred toward them will only eat us up inside. Abba Father doesn’t want that for us. Honestly, I have a ton of growing to do in this area of my walk with God. But, I’m making the commitment and taking baby steps every day.

How about you?

Daniel Chapter 3

The Golden Statue, the Fiery Furnace, and Persecution

In our small group, we talked about how the book of Daniel doesn’t tell us how many years had passed after Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, nor when he promoted Daniel and his three friends to prominent positions in government. We know from recorded history that over the years the king achieved many victories, and built the city of Babylon into a beautiful wonder of the world (take a look at the Ishtar Gate, here/World Monuments Fund and also here/Ancient Origins). Consequently, King Nebuchadnezzar thought very highly of himself and, as we say today, he “believed his own press”. 

He ordered a huge, golden statue made and demanded that all people bow down and worship it. The exiled Jews did not, and certain men in Babylonia snitched on Hananiah, Mishael, and Ananiah to the king. In his fury and rage, he had the three Hebrews thrown into the fiery furnace.

With their persecution in mind, our small group talked about how we in the West haven’t experienced persecution like our sisters and brothers in other countries, many who face it on a daily basis. But, we urged each other to pray, now, for our future strength whenever persecution may come our way.

Before the strongest men in the king’s guard threw them into the furnace, Daniel’s friends told the king something we need to keep in mind regarding persecution:

Daniel 3:17-18 (HCSB)
17 If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” [Emphasis mine]

But, even if God does not rescue….

They would never worship the king, his gods, nor the golden statue he had ordered made.

Two women in my group shared their favorite songs on this theme, and I’m including the YouTube video of each one for you to listen to when you have time. I hope these songs comfort and encourage you.

Mercy Me: Even If

Hillsong: There’s Another in the Fire

No matter what we’re going through, or what we’ll face in the future, we are never alone. Our Lord Jesus said we will face tribulation, but He also assured us He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Father gave us, His redeemed ones, His Holy Spirit to dwell inside us.

The three Hebrews weren’t alone in the furnace. The king saw a fourth man in the furnace who looked “like a god”. After Daniel’s friends came out of the furnace, untouched by the heat and the flames, Yahweh increased their influence in Babylonia, and their faith in Him was strengthened.

Daniel Chapter 4

The Dream, the Wild Man, and the Truth

King Nebuchadnezzar had another weird dream. Daniel was afraid to share his interpretation of the dream because the news was bad, and the king usually put to death those who didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear. But this time, the king told Daniel it was okay to be truthful to him. (Shows how much he respected Daniel.) Daniel not only interpreted the dream, he called the king to repent, because Daniel truly felt compassion for his enemy. Daniel’s call to repentance was very brave. He spoke God’s truth to Babylonian power, for Daniel knew the power of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

As God had ordained in the dream, the great King Nebuchadnezzar spent seven periods of time living as a beast among animals, eating grass, his hair growing out long, and his nails grew like eagle’s talons.

If I had been in Daniel’s sandals, I would also have been terrified to interpret the dream to the king. But Daniel spoke the truth…with a compassionate heart.

In our small group, we asked each other: When we talk with not-yet believers, do we want to “be right” and “win arguments” or do we show God’s love to them? Are we compassionate toward them, speaking truth, and loving them just as God does?

When we speak God’s truth to others with a loving heart, it’s not our responsibility how they respond. That’s between them and the Lord, as it was for us before we first believed.

Sadly, King Nebuchadnezzar, despite the witness of Daniel and his three friends, didn’t respond with repentance, faith, and loyalty to the only one true God, Yahweh. He respected Yahweh as a great one among the gods, but the king never stopped worshiping his gods.

The Hebrews in exile remained faithful. Our group facilitator reminded us that when the Hebrews returned to Jerusalem after seventy years in exile, they never worshiped other gods/idols again. They learned from the faithfulness of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they returned to the Lord God and worshiped Yahweh alone.

This comforts me. God is faithful, and He forgives and restores. When we follow the example of the faithful Hebrews in exile, we’ll grow in our faith and in our ability to stand strong in a hostile world.

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Application: What About You?

Let’s add to your supply of resources for learning to stand strong in a hostile world:

• Loving your enemies: Are you taking steps, even baby steps, toward loving your enemies? Begin by praying for them.

• Worshiping God: If our Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, truly is the one you worship, are you in intimate fellowship with Him on a daily basis?

• Trusting God: Do you regularly cultivate child-like trust in God, no matter the outcome of your circumstances? (“Even if He does not….”)

• Speaking God’s Truth: Are you cultivating in yourself the ability to speak God’s truth, even to power, with a loving heart attitude? Even when you feel afraid, will you commit to sharing God’s truth?

• Standing Firm in Faith: Are you practicing, now, how to stand firm, how to put on the full armor of God, as the apostle Paul encouraged us in Ephesians 6:10-20?

We all can begin today with baby steps, and the Lord will guide us in our growth.

Let’s also pray for each other as we continue in this series on the book of Daniel. I know I need your prayers. And, I’m praying for you.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria!

If you’re a not-yet follower of Jesus Christ, please come along on this journey with us. You are welcome here.

And, I invite you to read my series on the book “What Does God Want?”.

Conversation & Community

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