Pressing On!

     Is there anyone else that never gets tired of reading the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.  It simply amazes me how faith can be so overlooked today.  I’ll admit there are times I know that I have not reached the level of faith I ought to have.  In Hebrews 11 we read not just of faith, but how through faith we can triumph over Satan, sin and the world.  Faith must be put into action as we read in James 2:14-20 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  To say these men and women in the book of Hebrews had faith is one thing, to say they lived their faith is another.  They all lived and died by their faith.  Their faith was in the Lord.  The Lord was their goal, as He should be ours as well.

      Faith means that at different times we may be asked to do different things.  Trusting that the Lord will see us through is what faith is all about.  Hebrews 12:2 says, Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  I would like for us to consider not to overlook faith but rather simply place Christ as our faith.  So if we were to say By faith…it would be the same as saying By Christ…

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.

     Daniel could easily be classified as one of the Bibles all time great individuals.  Have you ever stopped to think about all the fantastic things he did while in captivity?  He went from slave boy to third ruler of the kingdom.  He went from being tested by man to being elevated by God.  He went on doing the things he knew to be right in the sight of God even though man would try to require his life for it. 

     Daniel was successful because Daniel was faithful to his Lord.  He was faithful to the God of heaven and earth no matter what trials came.  The passage that we looked at the beginning of these writings says much about the spiritual character of Daniel.  You see he did not start praying when the decree was made that no one should petition any god or man other than king Darius for thirty days.  He was not praying to rebel against Babylon he was only continuing to do what he had already been doing before the spiteful decree was made. 

     Daniel was great because Daniel loved God.  It sounds like a simple statement, when in truth it really is.  Living a life for Christ will always be worth whatever struggle we face.  Daniel prayed because he was a prayerful man.  Daniel was faithful because he was full of faith and lived his faith.  Daniel outlived all those that ruled around him, not because he was lucky but because he loved the Lord.  Dare to be a Daniel.  Let God use you and then you will see how far you will go.