Dare To Take A Stand

Posted on November 20, 2018 by America's Keswick in Victory Call

In my wardrobe I have two red shirts and a red cap.  Red is not my color.  I also have a green sweatshirt and green cap.  Green is really not my color.  What is on them tells you why I wear them.  The red ones say “Phillies” on them.  The green ones have an eagle on them.  I stand by my teams no matter what- win or lose.  I have been a Phillies fan since I started listening to their games when I was around ten.  I even listened to them on a shortwave radio while I was a missionary in Ecuador.  That is really dedication, since the signal kept going in and out.  But, I kept listening as they won the World Series.   That was a happy day!

It is not hard to wear my caps around my neighborhood as I take a walk.  But, walking around in some other city or state can be hard.  You never know what kind of “fan” you will meet.  It is always a pleasant surprise when someone comes up to you and says, “Hi, I am from Philly, too.”

In Daniel chapter one, we find four young men who were not afraid to stand up for their God and His laws.  They had been captured and were being groomed to be personal assistants to the king.  They were supposed to eat the food the king provided, but the food was not appropriate for Jewish people to eat.  So, Daniel asked permission to only eat the things approved by God’s law.  He asked the person in charge to allow them to eat the God approved food for ten days, to prove that it was a healthy diet.  After the ten days, they were healthier than all the other people.

In Daniel chapter six, we find Daniel years later still living a life that pleased God. He was not afraid to continue praying to God even after the king was tricked into making a statute saying that no one could petition anything from any man or god besides the king for thirty days.  Knowing about this statute, Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day, and he did it in front of his window where anyone could see him.  The consequence was that he was thrown into a lions’ den.  Because he trusted God, God protected him in that den.  And then, the king was so impressed that he made a decree that everyone should fear and tremble before the God of Daniel.

Are we willing to stand up and say we are part of God’s team?  It is easy to do when we are at church around other Christians.  But, are we still willing to stand out by living a godly life when we are around those who do not know the Lord?  Can others see that we belong to God by the way we live?

This reminds me of a song I learned as a child, “Dare to be a Daniel” by Philip P. Bliss:

1. Standing by a purpose true,
   Heeding God’s command,
   Honor them, the faithful few!
   All hail to Daniel’s band!

• Refrain:
  Dare to be a Daniel,
  Dare to stand alone!
  Dare to have a purpose firm!
  Dare to make it known.

2. Many mighty men are lost,
   Daring not to stand,
   Who for God had been a host
   By joining Daniel’s band.
3. Many giants, great and tall,
   Stalking through the land,
   Headlong to the earth would fall,
   If met by Daniel’s band.
4. Hold the Gospel banner high!
   On to vict’ry grand!
   Satan and his hosts defy,
   And shout for Daniel’s band.

Written by Denise Zambrano: Denise loves to teach the Bible and sing. She teaches a women’s Bible study and a high school Sunday School class.  Along with her daughter, Linda, she is an advocate at A Baby’s Breath (a crisis pregnancy center). She loves being a grandmother to Tim, Becky, Alexander, and William (who is with Jesus).  She was a missionary with Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador for 35 years.

The Daily Bible Reading: Acts 11-12| You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “What good does it do to speak in tongues on Sunday if you have been using your tongue during the week to curse and gossip?” – Leonard Ravenhill

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. — Romans 5:1-2