The God to Seek and Serve

At Camp Kedron this week we are discussing times when God saved His people and showed His supremacy over all other gods.  God judged the gods of Egypt with 10 plagues, revealed He was greater than the gods of the Philistines by the defeat of Goliath and when God thundered against them in Mizpah.  God showed His power over the gods of Babylon with His deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the burning furnace.  Throughout scripture God demonstrates His power over all gods of men, sin, Satan and death.

The powerlessness of idols made by men is shown when Daniel was thrown to the den of lions for praying to his God.  The princes and presidents conspired together to put into law that for 30 days it was illegal to make a petition to God or man except to King Darius.  All who disobeyed the royal decree would be thrown into a den of lions.  Daniel 6:10 reveals Daniel was undeterred in his devotion to the Most High God:  "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."

The rulers were pleased to report Daniel's disobedience to the new law to condemn him.  King Darius, the king to whom all petitions were to be brought was powerless to release Daniel from the law.  He knew the only hope of salvation was in the God of Israel Daniel served and prayed to.  Daniel 6:18 reads, "Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him."  The king who was deemed the only one worthy to receive petitions for 30 days was powerless even to sleep.  Darius felt the pangs of hunger as he likely broke the law stamped with his own ring to petition the God of Daniel:  was He able to do what Darius could not do?

Daniel 6:19-23 informs the curious reader, "Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" ²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! ²² My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you." ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God."  Like all idols and gods fashioned by men, Darius was impotent and powerless to help whilst the living God is able to save all who believe in Him.

Blessed is the one whose God is the God of Daniel, the living God we are divinely enabled to serve continually.  We can continually seek God and find Him because God is, the God who hears the petitions of His people and preserves them in the face of certain death.  The Most High God does not grow faint, weary, tired or in need of sleep.  He knows all who are his and answers the prayers of His people according to His purpose and plans.  How great is our God, and how gracious He is to save us to serve Him continually.