May 25, 2022

Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

This mornings reading from “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers, “As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and luxurious prospects will open up before you, and these things are yours by right; but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where you own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are; you will joyfully waive your right and leave God to choose for you.”

Steve and I are beginning our 16^th year of full-time traveling ministry. This year with all the extra challenges our nation and world are facing it certainly would have been “our right” to choose to remain home. But these two verses from John chapter 9 have carried us forward through many unknowns for these years; “We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (vs. 4-5) As long as Yeshua lives in us and we are in this world there is yet LIGHT to do His work! So, we go.

I want to share a thought with you about the biblical character known as Daniel. The Bible doesn’t specifically state this, but referencing historical record one can infer that Daniel and his friends taken into captivity to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court were made eunuchs. Now Daniel and his friends had a choice to make, they could choose to follow the ways of the court or remain true to the ways of their up-bringing. You say, of course they chose to remain true to their heritage in YAHWEH. Yes, they did, but think about what had been done to them, against their will. An affect that could not be recovered from. They could have used their maiming as an excuse that YAHWEH had forsaken them so why bother to follow and obey Him, but Daniel did not deviate from who He was\is in YAHWEH no matter what. This is for us today as well. No matter if we are tied down and a needle jabbed into our arm, or we are arrested and taken to an internment camp, or threatened with death, or starvation we, like Daniel and his friends choose not to deviate from who we are in YAHWEH.

In Ezekiel 14:13-20, YAHWEH said of Daniel:

“Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD.

“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

“Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered.

“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.”

May this also be said of us that we would be found righteous in the midst of gross darkness.

Blessings!

Shirley