Even in the worst of times

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”

Our Bible verse for today: “God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visons and dreams of every kind.” Daniel 1:17 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God’s power in the worst of times”

So, there was Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Four young Hebrew men who had been taken captive by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. They were brought to Babylon and made to be slaves. Their situation was desperate and dangerous. They were going to have to do exactly what they were told, conform to every rule and regulation and meet every expectation, and do it all to the satisfaction of their captors, or they would be punished, beaten, and perhaps even executed.

To their credit, they decided that if they were going to be slaves then they would be the best slaves they could be. They would obey, conform, and do a good job – so long as doing so didn’t conflict with the standards of conduct set for them by the One True God to whom they belonged. And as we read in Daniel 1:17, God honored their faithfulness and bestowed His favor upon them. He empowered them with skills and abilities that enabled them to excel, even in the middle of such a bad situation. That’s why God chose to include their story in the Bible as an example for us.

As the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible noted in their introduction to the book of Daniel, “Daniel’s book seeks to convince believers that God is steadily working out his purposes even during the worst of times and that persecution of believers is a call to faithfulness, not to apostasy. Though times may be difficult now, God is in control, steadily working out his purposes and gradually bringing history to an end… Some of your greatest encounters with God can come during your most difficult moments in life. God is at work, even when your enemies appear to be defeating you.”

God honors integrity and righteousness by giving us protection and power. He empowered Daniel and his friends to not only stand tall and to be faithful in the middle of extremely difficult circumstances, but He went a step beyond that and He enabled them to not just endure but to excel. He can and will do that for you too.

God’s power is available to help you survive and thrive even in the worst of times.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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