| Subject: Devo #35: Bon Appetit! |
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Gail
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Date Posted: 14:40:55 09/02/01 Sun
Topic—Vessels of Honor
Power Point—Obedience is the river through which God’s supernatural deliverance flows.
This Week’s Memory Verse—Psalm 5:12
Access Database—Daniel 3
Bon Appetit!
by Doug Lasit
What have you been offered lately that you knew you could not accept as a Christian?
When Nebuchadnezzer conquered Judah (see Daniel 1), the treasures or "vessels" that he stole were dishes and children. First, the fancy dishes were taken and put in the king’s palace. Second, the children were smart and of nobility, and they were made servants to the king.
The dishes would never again be used in the house of God. Nebuchadnezzer showed them off to visiting dignitaries so they would know that he was the one who conquered Judah. But Daniel and his three friends were a different story. They knew that possession does not equal ownership. No matter where they were taken, or what names you gave them, they were God’s children. They did not belong to Nebuchadnezzer. The King inside them was stronger than the king who captured them!
One day the four Hebrew boys were asked to disobey God’s Word. They were asked to eat some food from the king’s table that had come from the altars of idols. They said no. It was very clear in God’s Word they could not eat anything offered to an idol.
You have to ask, "Didn’t those boys realize that they were lucky to be alive? How could they defy the king of Babylon over what to eat! That sort of outright defiance was punishable by death!"
But King Nebuchadnezzer didn’t have quite the authority that he assumed he had. God had the final word. Even Daniel’s name means "God is my Judge."
"If I am wrong," Daniel said, "God will judge me, but I will not break His word!"
You can eat for comfort, or you can eat for destiny. What happened to Daniel and his friends? They were not destroyed, but God did a miracle, and He blessed them with a place of power and influence! This one decision was the key to Daniel’s ministry.
What does it mean to be a vessel of honor used in God’s house? It means recognizing who your true King is and serving Him, no matter what the cost!
Today we live in a spiritual Babylon. So here’s the million-dollar question: When the king of this world offers you his junk food—wrong relationships, wrong attitudes, ungodly entertainment, gossip, lies—do you eat it up, or wait for the fruit of the Spirit and the meat of God’s Word?
Now go back and read Daniel 3 one more time.
Identity Matrix—Disciples of Christ...
Know God—In what way did God reveal Himself to you as you read His Word?
Live for God—What one lifestyle change is God calling you to make?
Love Others—In what way is God calling you to minister to someone in need?
Bear Fruit—In what ways will you set the example and the standard for others to follow?
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